USA

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2026

Geography: USA

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic condition characterized by a weakened skin barrier, inflammation, and itch. Existing treatments mainly focus on relieving inflammation without directly addressing the skin barrier’s impairment. Our goal is to develop a topical treatment for AD that strengthens the skin barrier while reducing inflammation, an approach not previously explored. We recently discovered that a protein named RET is hyperactivated in AD, and inhibiting RET topically has shown promising results in enhancing the skin barrier and reducing inflammation. We hypothesize that topical RET inhibitors could effectively prevent and/or treat AD. Our proposal seeks to investigate how RET modulates skin barrier function and demonstrate the therapeutic effectiveness of topical RET inhibition using an established animal model that mimics human AD. This research is essential to fully explore RET as a therapeutic target in AD and advance the development of RET inhibitors for this condition.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2026

Geography: USA

Behçet’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affects the skin, mucous membranes, and multiple organs, and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. The immune mechanisms driving this disease are not well understood. Our research shows that a specific group of immune cells, called monocytes, are abnormally activated in Behçet’s disease, largely due to the action of interferon-gamma. This activation changes with treatment and differs across disease types, such as eye or blood vessel involvement. In this study, we will identify the signals that cause and sustain this abnormal immune response, develop blood-based markers to track disease activity and remission, and test whether blocking key inflammatory pathways can restore normal immune cell function. This work aims to improve disease monitoring and support the development of more targeted and effective treatments for patients with Behçet’s disease.