Rivka C. Stone, MD, PhD
University of Miami
Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery
Miami, FL
2017 Research Grant Recipient
Bioinformatics analysis of acne and rosacea transcriptomes: mechanistic insight into current and novel therapies
Mentor Jonette Keri, MD, Ph.D
Abstract
Acne and rosacea represent common disorders with significant psychosocial impact, negatively affecting patient self-image and quality of life. There have been few new therapies for acne and rosacea in the past decade, in part due to incomplete understanding of specific biologic processes driving the pathology of these conditions. Recently, transcriptome profiles of skin biopsies obtained from lesional and non-lesional skin of patients with acne and rosacea were made publicly available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). In this project, key pathologic processes driving acne and rosacea will be characterized through pathway analysis of lesional patient transcriptomes in comparison with non-lesional or healthy controls. Detailed bioinformatics analysis will be employed to identify and link existing treatments and novel small-molecule drugs with their targets among de-regulated genes and pathways in acne and rosacea. Insights obtained from this approach will pave the way for focused testing of candidate therapies that are most likely to be efficacious in the clinical setting, translating into improved outcomes for patients with acne and rosacea.