Simon Francis Thomsen , et al . – Bispebjerg Hospital , Department of Dermato-Venereology : Current and Future Research Activities
Our laboratory studies focus on defining new treatment targets and understanding the mechanisms of action of known therapies , such as psoralen plus ultraviolet A ( PUVA ), interferons and proteasome inhibitors . We have discovered that receptor NOTCH1 is aberrantly expressed in cutaneous lymphoma and that this molecule provides a promising treatment target ( 6 ). Our current interests focus on genetic heterogeneity and clonal evolution of cutaneous lymphomas and employ techniques of next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics pipelines developed in house specifically for this purpose .
Laser dermatology
Lasers and light-based therapies are gaining increasing impact in dermatology with new , effective and selective treatments to large groups of patients . Experimental use of lasers in dermatology is a cornerstone of the department ’ s research and is consolidated in an international , multidisciplinary research setting , pursuing to develop new treatments for patients with dermatological diseases , such as non-melanoma skin cancer , inflammatory acne , scars , and vascular lesions .
Laser-assisted drug delivery is a dedicated research area that was developed in collaboration with Harvard Medical
School . The concept takes advantage of fractional laser channels to deliver topically applied drugs and provides the unique opportunity to directly target diseased tissue ( 7 ). By combining pharmacolo gical and energy-based research , intensified topical treatments have been developed and translated into clinical benefit for high-risk patients , including organ transplant patients , with severe field cancerization and premalignant lesions . Further research initiatives aim at delivering anti-cancerous agents directly into tumour tissue , while monitoring tumour response with imaging techniques ; thus having the perspective to develop a new , non-surgical treatment concept to patients with non-melanoma skin cancer .
Our research activities cover a wide field from experimental laboratory experiments , in vivo murine and pig trials , early phase , proof of concept clinical trials , to larger , multicentre clinical trials . Scientific collaborators include national and international experts in dermatological laser techniques , skin cancer , pharmacy , non-invasive fluorescence analyses , optical coherence tomography ( OCT ) and re-scan confocal microscopy ( RCM ) imaging techniques ( Fig . 2 ), chemical imaging with mass spectroscopy and analytical chemistry .
Skin barrier function , contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis
Research on skin barrier function has comprised experimental studies with focus on contact dermatitis , including standardized irritation models and assessment with bioengineering methods . Results from these have led to clinical studies , and intervention trials focusing on patients with hand eczema , and results have had direct clinical impact with respect to patient education and prevention of hand eczema . We have proposed a new classification of hand eczema ( 8 ), and a future goal is that all patients with hand eczema should be guided and treated depending on the specific sub-diagnosis of the eczema ; a step forward in the direction of personalized medicine .
Fig . 2 . Confocal microscope .
Another disease related to skin barrier function is atopic dermatitis , where colonization with Staphylococcus aureus is known as a major factor for severity and initiation of flares . Our studies investigating bacteria at the strain level ( primarily S . aureus ) in lesional and non-lesional atopic dermatitis skin have indicated a relationship between bacterial clonal lineage , genetic biomarkers and skin barrier function ( 9 ). This association between specific bacteria and skin barrier impairment is new and interesting , and more studies directed at the skin microbiome in atopic dermatitis are ongoing . The antibiotic resistance pattern for S . aureus in patients with atopic dermatitis is being followed , since this is important for the individual patient as well as for society . A new minimal invasive method , using tape-strips for sampling of stratum corneum has proven
10 Dermato-Venereology in the Nordic Countries
Forum for Nord Derm Ven 2018 , Vol . 23 , No . 1