Inflammatory and Neoplastic Dermatological Diseases

Research group

Group Leader

Ramon M. Pujol Vallverdú

The Research Group on Inflammatory and Neoplastic Dermatological Diseases is composed of dermatologists, biologists and immunologists, connecting the bedside with the bench, which is a clear example of translational research. The group includes two different lines of investigation:

• The study of inflammatory dermatological diseases, mainly psoriasis, urticaria and bullous diseases. A) In psoriasis, we have developed a new in-vitro model which allows us to study the pathogenic mechanisms involved in early stages of the disease in different psoriasis phenotypes, consisting of the coculture of circulating CLA+ T cells (with cutaneous tropism), together with autologous epidermic cells from psoriatic patients, activated with Streptococcus pyogenes (SP) extract, a well-known psoriasis trigger. In addition, we focus on the characterization of T cell response in psoriasis. B) In urticaria, the ongoing projects are related to the definition of clinical phenotypes of the diseases along with transcriptome analysis of severe chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and cold urticaria, and the detection of potential biomarkers of clinical evolution and response to treatment. C) In autoimmune bullous diseases, the studies focus on the role of the innate immune system in the pathogenetic mechanisms of acquired epidermolysis bullosa.

• Research into the pathogenetic mechanisms of progression and immunological response to nonmelanoma skin cancer. Our group also studies the link between inflammation and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Our preliminary results show that metastatic SCC displays enhanced Polycomb levels (an epigenetic repressor family) and that Polycomb represses cytokine/chemokine expression in SCC cells. Our working hypothesis is that Polycomb repression of cytokine/chemokine expression in SCC blocks differentiation and function of the myeloid inflammatory component and favors a protumoral immune response.

 

Members

Evelyn Andrades López (Technician)

Marta Ferran Farrés (PhD Student)

Anna Maria Giménez Arnau (Researcher)

María Inmaculada Hernández Muñoz (Researcher)

Alejandro Lobato Berezo (Technician)

Gemma Martín Ezquerra (Researcher)

Silvia Sánchez Serrano (Technician)

Sonia Segura Tigell (Researcher)

Agustí Toll Abelló (Researcher)

 

more info

Main Publications

• Deza G, Brasileiro A, Bertolín-Colilla M, Curto-Barredo L, Pujol RM, Giménez-Arnau AM. Acquired cold urticaria: Clinical features, particular phenotypes, and disease course in a tertiary care center cohort. J Am Acad Dermatol 2016; 75: 918-924.e2. IF 5.621. Q1.

• Dávila-Seijo P, Daudén E, Carretero G, Ferrándiz C, Vanaclocha F, Gómez-García FJ, Herrera-Ceballos E, Dela Cueva-Dobao P, Belinchon I, Sánchez-Carazo JL, Alsina M, López-Estebaranz JL, Ferran M, Torrado R, Carrascosa JM, Llamas M, Rivera R, Jiménez-Puya R, García-Doval I, BIOBADADERM Study Group. Survival of classic and biological systemic drugs in psoriasis: results of the BIOBADADERM registry and critical analysis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2016; 30: 1942-1950. IF 3.029. Q1.

• Magerl M, Altrichter S, Borzova E, Giménez-Arnau AM, Grattan CE, Lawlor F, Mathelier-Fusade P, Meshkova RY, Zuberbier T, Metz M, Maurer M. The definition, diagnostic testing and management of chronic inducible urticarias - update and revision of the EAACI/GA2 LEN/EDF/UNEV 2009 consensus panel recommendations. Allergy 2016; 71: 780-802. IF 6.335. Q1.

• Manils J, Eduard C, Viña-Vilaseca A, López-Cano M, Díez-Villanueva A, Gómez D, Marruecos L, Ferran M, Benito C, Perrino FW, Vavouri T, de Anta JM, Ciruela F, Soler C. The exonuclease TREX2 shapes psoriatic phenotype. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136: 2345-2355. IF 6.915. Q1.

• Maurer M, Metz M, Bindslev-Jensen C, Bousquet J, Canonica GW, Church MK, Godse KV, Grattan CE, Hide M, Kocatürk E, Magerl M, Makris M, Meshkova R, Saini SS, Sussman G, Toubi E, Zhao Z, Zuberbier T, Giménez-Arnau AM. Definition, aims, and implementation of GA²LEN Urticaria Centers of Reference and Excellence. Allergy 2016; 71: 1210-1218. IF 6.335. Q1.

• Pesonen M, Jolanki R, Larese Filon, Wilkinson M, Krecisz B, Kiec-Swierczynska M, Bauer A, Mahler V, John SM, Schnuch A, Uter W, ESSCA network (...Giménez-Arnau AM...). Patch test results of the European baseline series among patients with occupational contact dermatitis across Europe: analyses of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergy network, 2002-2010. Contact Dermatitis 2016; 72: 154-163. IF 5.692. Q1.

• Ruiz-Romeu E, Ferran M, Giménez-Arnau AM, Bugara B, Lipert B, Jura J, Florencia EF, Prens EP, Celada A, Pujol RM, Santamaria-Babí LF. MCPIP1 RNase is aberrantly distributed in psoriatic epidermis and rapidly induced by IL-17A. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136: 1599-1607. IF 6.915. Q1.

• Ruiz-Romeu E, Ferran M, Sagristà M, Gómez J, Giménez-Arnau AM, Herszenyi K, Holló P, Celada A, Pujol RM, Santamaria-Babí LF. Streptococcus pyogenes-induced cutaneous lymphocyte antigen-positive T cell-dependent epidermal cell activation triggers TH17 responses in patients with guttate psoriasis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2016; 138: 491-499.e6. IF 12.485. Q1.

• Toll A, Salgado R, Espinet B, Díaz-Lagares A, Hernández-Ruiz E, Andrades E, Sandoval J, Esteller M, Pujol RM, Hernández-Muñoz I. MiR-204 silencing in intraepithelial to invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression. Mol Cancer 2016; 15: 53. IF 5.888. Q1.

• Toll A, Fernández LC, Pons T, Groesser L, Sagrera A, Carrillo-de Santa Pau E, Vicente A, Baselga E, Vázquez M, Beltrán S, Pisano DG, Rueda D, Gut M, Pujol RM, Hafner C, Gut I, Valencia A, Real FX. Somatic embryonic FGFR2 mutations in keratinocytic epidermal nevi. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136: 1718-1721. IF 6.915. Q1.

Ongoing Research Projects

• Mecanismos moleculares que determinan la activación de linfocitos y células residentes cutáneas en psoriasis: búsqueda de dianas terapéuticas

− Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI13/01716)

− From 2014 to 2016

− Principal investigator: Pujol Vallverdú, Ramon Maria

 

• Regulación epigenética de la función inflamatoria del componente epitelial en la progresión metastática del carcinoma escamoso cutáneo (CEC)

− Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI15/00236)

− From 2014 to 2018

− Principal investigators: Toll Abelló, Agustí; Hernández Muñoz, María Inmaculada

Participation in Research Networks

• Grupo Español de Psoriasis de la AEDV (GPs)

• Biobadaderm

• Grupo Español de Fotobiología

• Xarxa d’Urticària Catalana i Balear (UrCB)

• Grupo Español de Investigación en Dermatitis de Contacto y Alergia Cutánea (GEIDAC)

• European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA)

• GA²LEN, Global Allergy and Asthma European Network

• Development and Implementation of European Standards on Prevention of Occupational Skin Diseases (StanDerm) COST Action TD 1206

• European Environmental Contact Dermatitis Research Group

• Grupo Español de Dermatología Quirúrgica, Láser y Oncología de la AEDV

• European Association of Derma-Oncology (EADO)

Group’s Recognitions

• Officially recognized as a consolidated research group by the Generalitat de Catalunya: Grup de Recerca de malalties dematalògiques inflamatòries i tumorals (ITDED) (2014-2017)

− Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (SGR 646)

− Principal investigator: Pujol Vallverdú, Ramon Maria

Clinical Trials Signed in 2016

• Eficacia y seguridad de LEO 43204 en el área de tratamiento de la queratosis actínica en cara o pecho, incluyendo un seguimiento de 12 meses

− Register: LP0084-1193

− Principal investigator: Pujol Vallverdú, Ramon Maria

 

• Estudio de fase III para investigar la eficacia, la seguridad y la tolerabilidad de Dupilumab administrado a pacientes adultos con dermatitis atópica grave que no estén adecuadamente controlados con o no toleren bien la Ciclosporina A por vía oral, o cuando este tratamiento no sea aconsejable desde el punto de vista médico

− Register: R668-AD-1424

− Principal investigator: Pujol Vallverdú, Ramon Maria

 

• Estudio de extensión, multicéntrico, abierto para evaluar la seguridad a largo plazo de QGE031 240 mg s.c. administrado cada 4 semanas durante 52 semanas en pacientes con urticaria crónica espontánea que hayan completado el estudio CQGE031C2201

− Register: CQGE031C2201E1

− Principal investigator: Giménez Arnau, Anna Maria

 

• Registre de la Xarxa d’Urticària Catalana i Balear (XUrCB)

− Register: CMP-URT-2016-01

− Principal investigator: Giménez Arnau, Anna Maria

 

• BI 655066 en comparación con Ustekinumab y placebo en un ensayo aleatorizado, doble cIego, para uso mantenido en psoriasis en placas de moderada a grave-2 (UltIMMa-2)

− Register: 1311.28

− Principal investigator: Ferran Farrés, Marta

 

• Evaluación de la solución de uso cutáneo SP14019-F-01 para el tratamiento de la dermatitis atópica. Estudio piloto (ESTUDIO CYCLATOP)

− Register: SP14019-18

 

• Estudio multicéntrico, doble ciego, aleatorizado, controlado con placebo, de fase II para evaluar Resminostat para el tratamiento de mantenimiento de pacientes con estadio avanzado (estadio IIB-IVB) de micosis fungoide (MF) o Síndrome de Sézary (SS) que hayan logrado el control de la enfermedad con la terapia sistémica – Estudio RESMAIN

− Register: 4SC-201-6-2015

− Principal investigator: Pujol Vallverdú, Ramon Maria

Theses

• Martínez-Escala E. Estudi in vivo sobre la rellevància del sistema immune innat en la patogènia de l'epidermolisi ampul·lar adquirida. Autonomous University of Barcelona

− Directors: Pujol Vallverdú, Ramon Maria; Herrero-González, JE

− Date of defense: 11/11/2016

Other

• Giménez-Arnau A, Curto-Barredo L, Nonell L, Puigdecanet E, Yélamos J, Gimeno R, Rüberg S, Santamaria-Babí L, Pujol RM. Severely active Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria. Gene expression profile. Functional analysis. Best oral communication. EAACI Congress 2016. Vienna.

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