Genetic Diseases and Gene Therapy
Characterizing the Role of the Cutaneous Microbiota in Darier Disease
Darier disease is an inherited disorder of acantholytic dyskeratosis. Lesions are most prominent on seborrheic skin and are prone to secondary infections, which lead to disease flares and significant morbidity….
Assessing the Functional Consequences of Mitochondrial Genomic Alterations in Cutaneous Aging
Mitochondria generate energy for cells. They contain their own genome, which supports their function. Photoaging is associated with alterations to this genome, but the effects of these changes on mitochondrial…
Elucidating Genes Involved in the Pathogenesis of Lichen Planus and Lichenoid Dermatoses
We are investigating the pathogenesis of lichen planus (LP) and other lichenoid dermatoses using single-cell RNA sequencing and similar techniques on fresh lesional and nonlesional skin biopsies from patients. We…
Investigating Neuroimmune Interactions to Promote Scarless Skin Regeneration
Approximately 100 million new skin scars appear annually in the U.S. The many products marketed for scar prevention produce only modest results. We discovered that activation of the TRPA1 receptor…
Identification of Shared Genetic and Modifiable Risk Factors for Psoriasis and Multiple Sclerosis
More than 40,000 people suffer from both psoriasis and multiple sclerosis (MS), which share a number of known genetic loci. IL-17 is significant in both diseases, and I hypothesize that…
Characterizing the Genetics and Epigenetics of Linear Morphea
Morphea is an inflammatory skin disease that can be debilitating and disfiguring. Developing a better understanding of this disease is the first step toward better pharmacological treatments and preventive strategies….
Development of Targeted Immunotherapy for, and Transcriptional Profiling of, γδ T Cell Diseases
Gamma-delta (gd) T-cells are involved in infection, inflammation, and cancer. We propose novel methods to develop T-cell–based immunotherapies to combat gd T-cell cancers, which may lead to lasting remission. We…