Towards a better understanding of the chronic hand-and-foot eczema spectrum via a multi-omics tape-strip characterization
Grantee: Emma Guttman, Professor and Chair, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Amount: DKK 3,418,680
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.
Orchestration of sensory innervation by hair follicle stem cells and its implication in cutaneous neuropathy
Grantee: Chiwei Xu, Postdoc, Rockefeller University
Amount: DKK 2,929,313
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.
A transcriptomic analysis study of patch test-induced allergic contact dermatitis to methylisothiazolinone, diazolidinyl urea, isoeugenol, nickel and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate
Grantee: Ana Giménez-Arnau, Dermatologist, Hospital del Mar
Amount: DKK 490,000
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.
The Children’s Book Publisher (Børnebogsforlaget)
Grantee: Jakob Lund Pedersen, Børnebogsforlaget
Amount: DKK 380,000
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
The Biology Olympiad (Biologiolympiaden)
Grantee: Kirsten Wøldike, Biologiolympiaden
Amount: DKK 100,000
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
High5Girls
Grantee: Marianne Andersen, High5Girls
Amount: DKK 259,884
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.
YouTube influencer “Videnskabsmaria”
Grantee: Maria Jarjis
Amount: DKK 243,000
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.
The LEO Foundation Award 2023 – Region Asia-Pacific
Grantee: Dr. Laura Mackay, Professor, The University of Melbourne
Amount: USD 100,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2023
Geography: Australia
Dr. Laura Mackay is a Professor at The University of Melbourne in Australia.
She receives the award for her momentous work within the field of immunological memory, as she continues to build upon her own research shedding light on how tissue-resident T cells provide first-line defense against infection.
The LEO Foundation Award 2023 – Region EMEA
Grantee: Dr. Lavinia Paternoster, Associate Professor, University of Bristol
Amount: USD 100,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2023
Geography: United Kingdom
Dr. Lavinia Paternoster is Associate Professor at the University of Bristol in the UK.
She receives the award for her research pushing the boundaries of our knowledge on the genetic landscape of skin diseases. Lavinia Paternoster’s work has led to significant breakthroughs in the understanding of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and other complex human disorders.
The LEO Foundation Award 2023 – Region Americas
Grantee: Dr. William Damsky, Assistant Professor, Yale University
Amount: USD 100,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2023
Geography: USA
Dr. William Damsky is Assistant Professor at Yale School of Medicine in the US.
He receives the award for his noteworthy contributions to the understanding of inflammatory skin diseases, as he particularly looks to expand our presently incomplete understanding of the cutaneous diseases Sarcoidosis and Granuloma Annulare (GA).