Colchicine: an ancient drug with novel applications

Colchicine is one of the oldest remedies still in use today. It is derived from the bulb‐like corms of the Colchicum autumnale plant, also known as autumn crocus. Its history as an herbal remedy for joint pain goes back at least a thousand years, and it is used to treat disorders including gout and Familial Mediterranean Fever. Despite this, exactly how colchicine works is still being explored. More recently, colchicine has been reported to be an effective treatment for several skin diseases, including Behçet's disease, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, leukocytocastic vasculitis, Sweet's syndrome and recurrent apthous stomatitis. However, the existing research often relates to small numbers of patients. This review, by scientists in the U.S.A., outlines the existing research into a list of skin diseases, and provides a table to show the level of evidence for each one. A number of skin diseases have already been found to respond to colchicine, and more thorough studies will likely reveal new uses for this ancient drug.