Explore our grantees and awardees

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2023

Geography: USA

Joshua Moreau’s project investigates the potential role of B cells (antibody-producing immune cells) in the inflammatory skin disease, hidradenitis suppurativa to create a foundation for future therapeutic approaches.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a painful skin disease characterized by highly inflamed lesions. While the causes of lesion progression are not well understood, this inflammation is often marked by accumulation of an immune cell subset called B cells. In certain contexts, B cells cause damage to the body and perpetuate inflammatory responses, however, for this to happen these cells need to undergo a process of maturation to become antibody-producing plasma cells. In this project, Joshua Moreau aims to understand if B cells accumulating in HS affected skin mature into disease perpetuating plasma cells.

To do this, Joshua Moreau and his team will utilize a technique called spatial transcriptomics technology that allows them to track B cell maturation across a skin sample. This, in turn, will allow them to determine if plasma cells originate at the site of inflammation in the skin.

Additionally, the team will explore avenues for blocking B cell maturation specifically within the skin using advanced human skin tissue culturing approaches.

Collectively, these experiments may provide currently missing insight into the disease-causing potential of B cells in HS and form a foundation for targeting them therapeutically.

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2023

Geography: Denmark

Hans Wandall’s project aims to investigate the potential role of sugar molecules (glycans) in inflammatory skin diseases.

Several skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and psoriasis, are caused by a cascade of inflammatory events localized to the epidermis and the dermis.

Based on substantial preliminary findings showing dysregulation of glycosylation (sugarcoating) of the cells in the skin of patients with inflammatory skin diseases, Hans Wandall and his team hypothesize that carbohydrate receptors on immune cells recognize inflammation-induced glycan changes and induce a vicious cycle that aggravates inflammatory skin diseases in susceptible individuals.

They will investigate this through a three-pronged approach: 1) characterize the glycosylation patterns of skin samples obtained from patients diagnosed with contact dermatitis, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, and also analyze glycosylation patterns on human keratinocytes and fibroblasts from skin-inflammation models based on human 3D organ-like skin systems with exogenous cytokines and inflammatory cells and samples from murine models of inflammatory skin diseases. 2) Next, they will co-culture immune cells with keratinocytes ablated for select glycosylation pathways to define the functional role these in relation to glycan changes, and finally, 3) analyze the importance of key immune receptors sensing the glycan changes.

Through the investigations, the project will systematically evaluate the role of glycans in inflammatory skin diseases with a promise to provide new targets for interventions.

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2023

Geography: Switzerland

This project by Hans-Dietmar Beer aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms associated with NLRP1 inflammasome activation in keratinocytes in inflammatory skin conditions.

Inflammasomes are protein complexes, which are mainly expressed by immune cells. Upon detection of stress factors, they regulate activation of the proinflammatory cytokine proIL-1β and its release to the extracellular environment, thereby inducing inflammation. Inflammasomes are required for initiation of normal immune responses, however, their chronic activation also underlies the pathogenesis of numerous inflammatory diseases.

The epidermis, the outermost layer of our skin, represents the first line of defense of the human body and consists of densely packed layers of keratinocytes. These cells express high levels of all proteins of the NLRP1 inflammasome. To address the roles of this inflammasome in human skin, Hans-Dietmar Beer and his team previously activated NLRP1 in keratinocytes cultivated together with dermal fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) in a three-dimensional (3D) organotypic skin model and found that NLRP1 activation induced an altered tissue phenotype and activation of pathways associated with inflammatory skin diseases. Most importantly, the team also detected inflammasome activation in keratinocytes in biopsies of patients suffering from these conditions.

The preliminary results suggest that inhibition of NLRP1 activation in keratinocytes might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with certain inflammatory skin diseases and the current proposal seeks to investigate this hypothesis in more detail.

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2023

Geography: USA

The project of Emma Guttman aims to develop an improved understanding of the molecular basis of chronic hand and foot eczema to guide future treatment approaches.

Chronic hand and foot eczema is a highly prevalent disorder, affecting up to 15% of the overall population, and represents an enormous socio-economic and psychosocial burden. The condition is often refractory to conventional treatments. In addition, chronic hand and foot eczema shows considerable inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity, further complicating treatment options.

Importantly, overall pathophysiological mechanisms are still only insufficiently understood, as skin biopsies from these areas are very difficult to obtain due to the location in which it may implicate local pain, wounds, and visible scars. Thus, better sampling methods are urgently needed.

Emma Guttman and her team propose to use tape stripping, a non-invasive method that targets the outermost layers of the skin, to collect lesional and non-lesional skin samples. Through a multi-omics approach, including transcriptomic (looking at gene expression) and multiplex proteomic methods (looking at active proteins), these samples will be used for improved molecular and genetic understanding of chronic hand and foot eczema. Their study will include samples from adult patients with different forms of chronic hand and foot eczema, stratified for specific locations, severity, and clinical subtypes. Results will be compared to matched healthy control individuals.

If successful, results obtained from Emma Guttman’s investigation may identify disease-causing factors specific for chronic hand eczema subsets and locations, that could guide future targeted treatment approaches in a more personalized or stratified manner.

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2023

Geography: USA

Charles (Chiwei) Xu’s project aims to investigate the molecular basis for cutaneous neuropathies (i.e., sensation of pain, numbness or fatigue caused by neural damage).

Mouse skin contains a dense network of nerve endings and is a good system to study interactions between the peripheral nervous system and barrier tissues in mammals. Intriguingly, axons (the elongated, signal-transducing sections) of sensory neurons are closely associated with hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) in the skin, and Charles Xu has identified ligand-receptor pairs that mediate signaling between the two cell types. Specifically, he has identified the HFSC-derived parathyroid-hormone-like hormone (Pthlh) as a top candidate factor required for sensory innervation. Charles Xu has also established that Pthlh signals through the receptor Pth1r in sensory neurons. To further study crosstalk between HFSCs and sensory neurons, he has established a 3D co-culture system of these cells. Using that system, he aims to further characterize Pthlh-Pth1r signaling in the context of direct HFSC-sensory neuron interactions in vitro. He also aims to investigate the physiological relevance in an in vivo mouse model. In doing so, Charles Xu and his team aim to establish a versatile technical platform to study cutaneous neuropathies, which are common disorders where there is currently a lack of both mechanistic understanding and effective treatment.

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2023

Geography: Spain

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a frequent skin condition associated with significant loss of quality of life. Finding specific biomarkers has emerged as a relevant challenge to improve the diagnosis of patients and unravel therapeutic alternatives.

Recent findings have highlighted the existence of allergen-specific transcriptomic fingerprinting (i.e., genetic patterns that enable unambiguous identification of entities – here allergens). However, to date only a few studies have been performed comparing a wide range of different allergens.

In the proposed project, Ana Giménez-Arnau, along with colleague David Pesqué, plans to make a gene expression analysis of biopsies from patch-induced ACD by methylisothiazolinone, diazolidinyl urea, nickel, isoeugenol and 2-hydroxi-ethylemetacrylate. Specifically, Ana Giménez-Arnau and her team will evaluate the presence of allergen-specific genetic fingerprinting, if common biomarkers between allergens can be identified, if there are transcriptomic changes depending on the biopsy timing and finally, they will correlate the results with the characteristics and intensity of inflammatory infiltrates and the level allergic reaction of the patch-induced ACD.

This prospective investigation will be based on recruitment of patients with ACD to the indicated allergens and includes two single patch tests containing the standard commercialized allergen and one single patch test with petrolatum (positive control) to be applied on day 1. Two biopsies will be taken on day 3 (one from the petrolatum patch and one from the first allergen patch). The final biopsy will be taken on day 5 from the remaining allergen patch.

Collectively, the project will provide insights to the genetic characteristics of allergic contact dermatitis and may provide a foundation for identifying common or allergen-specific treatment targets.

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2023

Geography: Denmark

“Danske Stjerner” (translated to Danish stars) is a series of children’s books about important Danish scientists. The series is for kids of aged 4-8 years. The books’ stories are illustrated, and their tales begin  when the scientists are the same age as their young readers. They then follow the scientists into adulthood, exploring their lives and discoveries. The aim of the series is to increase children’s interest for science, and to inspire them through role models. So far, the series consists of eight published books, illustrating the lives of, amongst others, physicist Niels Bohr, seismologist Inge Lehmann, and astronaut Andreas Mogensen.

The grant is for DKK 380,000 and supports the publishing of four additional books to the series, including one about Morten Peter Meldal, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2022 for the development of “click chemistry”, and one about Elise Sørensen, creator of the colostomy bag, which today is used globally.

Visit The Children’s Book Publisher’s webpage

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2023

Geography: Denmark

The Biology Olympiad (Biologiolympiaden) is an initiative which encourages education within biology and biotechnology. The Biology Olympiad is a Danish, nation-wide, online competition for high school students, where the 30 best students progress to the semi-final as well as a talent program – established in partnership with the University of Copenhagen (KU), Aarhus University (AU), University of Southern Denmark (SDU), and Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The talent program, which combines both theory and laboratory exercises, follows the young participants through a series of exercises within cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, ecology, genetics, and evolution. 15 students then progress to the final, and four national winners invited to participate in the international final with participants from 78 countries.

The grant for DKK 100,000 supports introductory exercises and training sessions, as well as travel andfor the four Danish winners invited to compete internationally in 2023. The international final will take place in the United Arab Emirates.

Visit the Biology Olympiad’s webpage

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2023

Geography: Denmark

High5Girls is a non-profit organization which works to inspire young women (ages 13-19) to take an education within the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Through camps, workshops, and hackathons, the aim is to strengthen women’s opportunities to create, think innovatively, and turn ideas into reality.

All events are free, and the focus is on solving real challenges. Mentors and role models are also women working within STEM, both from the academic world but also from within the industry.

The grant of DKK 259,884 is to help fund three STEM camps as well as three events for young women and their mothers. The project will create a safe space, where young women can learn about STEM, experiment, and learn through both successes and failures. The goal is also to strengthen the young participants’ self-esteems as well as belief in their own capabilities. Focus is placed on finding solutions for societal challenges through technology and science. Close collaboration with role models throughout hopes to provide inspiration for the young participants to choose an educational or career path within the STEM area.

Visit High5Girls webpage

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2023

Geography: Denmark

Maria Jarjis is an influencer who goes by the name “Videnskabsmaria”, and has for the last six years run the YouTube channel “WTF is that?” (“WTF er det?”). Using engaging cases, Maria Jarjis fosters an awareness through her channel for the world of sciences, and she specifically targets a youthful demographic of viewers between the ages of 14-24 years – who can be challenging to reach through more the traditional media. The YouTube channel “WTF is that?” has 63,500 followers, and altogether, Maria Jarjis’ videos have been viewed over 22 million times.

The LEO Foundation’s grant of DKK 243,000 supports the production of five videos with a focus on skin and skin diseases. In the videos, Maria Jarjis will interview researchers and other experts. The videos will be released on the YouTube channel “WTF is that?” throughout 2023 and be publicly accessible to young viewers, as well as to anyone else with an interest within the area.

Visit the YouTube channel “WTF is that?”