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Using Non-invasive Sampling Of Tape-Strip Biopsies To Improve Eczema Therapy in the Bangladeshi population in the East-End of London

Code: BC-DTP_2026_58

Title: Using Non-invasive Sampling Of Tape-Strip Biopsies To Improve Eczema Therapy in the Bangladeshi population in the East-End of London

Primary Supervisor: Ryan O’Shaughnessy

Email: r.f.l.oshaughnessy@qmul.ac.uk

Institute: Blizard Institute

Secondary Supervisor: Edel O’Toole

Email: e.a.otoole@qmul.ac.uk

Institute: Blizard Institute

Lay Summary:

Eczema is a common skin condition affecting up to 20% of children in the UK, and its incidence is on the rise in developing and low to middle-income countries. This condition significantly impacts the quality of life for both sufferers and their families and severe eczema is a particular health-burden for the Bangladeshi population living in the East-End of London. Current treatment approaches involve medical evaluation and management of symptoms, but systemic therapies are the cornerstone of severe eczema treatment. These can be effective in controlling disease but on average only lead to 50% improvement in symptoms

Despite this, eczema remains under-researched, resulting in a gap in understanding disease mechanisms. It is increasingly evident that disruption in the skin barrier and changes in skin immunity, are key factors in eczema development. Therefore, unravelling the mechanisms behind skin barrier disruption and altered skin immunity in eczema is crucial for developing precision medicine aligned with disease pathophysiology.

A significant innovation lies in the detailed assessment of the proteins of the skin barrier obtained through non-invasive biopsies, such as skin tape-strips. This could rapidly facilitate more effective targeting of existing treatments, point to new targeted treatment modalities which potentially could reduce the economic burden on the NHS, and enhance the quality of life for eczema patients and their families.

Aims:

Aim 1) Identification of proteins associated with skin immune dysfunction and barrier dysfunction in eczema tape-strips.

Aim 2) Profiling profilaggrin proteases in eczema.

Aim 3) Organotypic modelling of barrier impairment, immune dysfunction and impaired profilaggrin processing.

References:

1) Hughes A et al bioRxiv  2024.03.11.584344 (In revision J Invest Dermatol).

2) Naeem AS et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017 Apr;139(4):1228-1241.

3) Hughes A et al., Br J Dermatol. 2021 Jul;185(1):26-35.

4) Tagoe H et al., Br J Dermatol. 2023 Jul 7;189(1):91-102.

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