Dissecting the Immune Microenvironment of Chronic Viral Dermatoses
Grantee: Daniel Jair Enriquez Vera, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista
Amount: DKK 2,000,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers
Year: 2025
Geography: Peru
When skin becomes chronically inflamed, the immune system can form specialized deposits of immune cells called tertiary lymphoid structures to produce defenses and activate immune cells. However, the characteristics and function of these structures remain poorly understood in chronic skin infections caused by viruses, such as Hydroa Vacciniforme (by Epstein-Barr virus) and Infective Dermatitis (by Human T-cell Leukemia virus type I). Moreover, these structures may paradoxically worsen inflammation over time or contribute to cancer transformation. During my visit to the LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center at the University of Copenhagen, I will leverage advanced lab methods and imaging techniques to understand these structures in collaboration with Peruvian institutions. This visit aims to characterize these structures, ultimately leading to the discovery of new ways to predict cancer transformation and new treatments to control their function during viral infection (Fig-1).