A Non-Invasive Genomic and Transcriptomic Decision-Assist Tool for Suspected Subungual Melanoma
Grantee: Beth McLellan, Professor and Chief, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Amount: DKK 3,999,656
Grant category: Serendipity Grants
Year: 2026
Geography: USA
TBU
Nasal microbiota as a novel axis for skin immune regulation
Grantee: Erin (Yiyin) Chen, Assistant Professor (MIT), Core Institute Member (Broad Institute)
Amount: DKK 3,999,997
Grant category: Serendipity Grants
Year: 2026
Geography: USA
We aim to understand how skin inflammation is suppressed by a surprising site: the nose. This proposal is motivated by two unexpected discoveries during our prior Leo-funded work. First, we found that some bacteria generate large immune responses when they colonize the nose peacefully, even when there is no evidence of infection. Second, we found that these nasal bacteria suppress the immune response in the skin, even though the skin is 100x larger than the nose. Therefore, we hypothesize that the nose is an overlooked site of immune regulation for the skin. We now aim to understand the molecular details of this nose-skin immune suppression. We also plan to study how nose-skin immune suppression changes our risk of eczema, psoriasis, infection, and cancer. Overall, we hope to understand how the bacteria that naturally colonize our nose regulate skin health and use these insights to develop new therapies for skin inflammation.