Dissecting the mechanism of action of topical treatments in AK
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Dissecting the Mechanism of Action of Topical Treatments in Actinic Keratosis
IRAS ID
306861
Contact name
John Lear
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 6 days
Research summary
Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer accounts for over 150,000 cases of cancer each year, by far the most common form of cancer in the UK. Of these, Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) makes up approximately 25% of cases. The number of cases diagnosed each year has increased 2.5 fold in the last 30 years. cSCC has the potential to spread in the body in up to 1% of cases, and therefore is a significant source of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. The outcomes of cSCC are much better when it is diagnosed and treated early.
Actinic Keratosis (AK) is a type of sun damage that has the potential to develop into cSCC. AK is often treated with different cream-based medications. Therefore, improving the understanding of how AK develops, and how best to treat it, is important as will reduce the number of cases that develop into cSCC.
Certain patient populations are more at risk of developing AK, and therefore cSCC, than others. For example, patients who have undergone kidney transplants (and therefore take medications to dampen their immune system) have a far higher incidence of cSCC than the general population. These patients also frequently respond worse to different cream-based treatments, but the reasons behind this are unknown.
This project aims to explain how different cream-based treatments work in AK by performing biopsies on skin before and after treatment, and examining the immune system changes triggered by treatment. It will compare the responses of renal transplant patients (with impaired immune systems) to patients with AK in the general population, which will allow us to understand why immunocompromised patients respond worse to treatment. Overall, the project will potentially allow for the development of new treatments that target the pathways identified, or combinations of treatments that may be more effective in patients with impaired immune systems.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0752
Date of REC Opinion
14 Sep 2023
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion