Research project

Stratum corneum ceramide profiling in immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases

This project is part of the Next Generation ImmunoDermatology (NGID) consortium, which focuses on the comprehensive phenotyping of six different immune-mediated inflammatory skin conditions. A common factor contributing to these diseases is a dysfunctional skin barrier. The skin barrier function is mainly provided by the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis. The stratum corneum consists of corneocytes embedded in a complex lipid matrix, primarily composed of cholesterol, free fatty acids and ceramides. Ceramides are structurally highly diverse lipids, with more than 1000 different species identified in human stratum corneum. In diseased skin, alterations in the ceramide composition result in a compromised barrier function. This project aims to characterize the stratum corneum ceramide profile in both lesional and non-lesional skin focusing on psoriasis and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Therefore, stratum corneum lipids are collected through tape stripping in clinical trials, and ceramides are analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This in-depth characterization of the ceramide composition may improve the pathophysiological understanding of these conditions. Additionally, correlating ceramide characteristics with barrier function and disease severity could provide a basis for using ceramide profiling as a biomarker for disease monitoring and treatment response.

Contact

Catherine Mergen