2023 Pilot & Feasibility Grant Awardees

PI: Tatiana Efimova, PhD, M.Sc., Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Assistant Professor of Dermatology (Secondary)

Our research is to employ therapeutic RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene silencing approach (see details below) and utilize the optimized docosanoic acid (DCA)-conjugated small interfering RNA (DCA-siRNA) scaffold.

PI: Alan Zhou, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology (Medical Dermatology)

Our work attempts to elucidate the spatial transcriptomic profile of erythrodermic skin of different etiologies. We are also investigating demographic and clinical characteristics of patients to determine risk factors.

PI: William A Muller, MD, PhD, Janardan K. Reddy, MD Professor of Pathology (Experimental Pathology, Autopsy)

      Aim 1: Will skin wounds heal normally in the face of chronic administration of Tat-KLC1c?
We have developed a cell-permeant peptide (Tat-KLC1c) that blocks inflammation. We have preliminary data that chronic administration of this peptide will block acute inflammation, but still allow enough leukocytes into a wound to heal the wound and keep it from getting infected. We will repeat these studies to make sure that these data hold up in a variety of mouse strains. In particular, C57Bl/6, which is the strain in which the psoriasis model is tested.

      Aim 2: Will Tat-KLC1c administration prevent or reduce inflammation and disease severity in a mouse model of psoriasis?
We will determine whether the peptide blocks inflammation (leukocyte infiltration) and skin changes in the imiquimod model of psoriasis in mice.

      Aim 3: Will mice receiving Tat-KLC1c for prevention or treatment of imiquimod-induced skin disease still be able to heal skin wounds normally?
In this Aim we will combine Aims 1 and 2. We will determine if mice receiving enough Tat-KLC1c to ameliorate psoriasis will still be able to heal a wound and keep it from getting infected during active therapy.