A study on this year, as part of the organization’s research grants program.
National Rosacea Society
The NRS research grants program was created to increase knowledge and understanding of not only the potential causes of rosacea, but other aspects of the disease that may inform prevention, treatment, or a potential cure, according to the press release announcing the recipients.
New research grant recipient Sezen Karakus, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, received $15,000 for a study on the contribution of the ocular surface microbiome to the development of rosacea. Ocular rosacea can result in corneal complications severe enough to affect vision, and identifying the microorganisms on the ocular surface may lead to new treatment strategies, Dr. Karakus said in the release. He will collaborate on this research with dermatologist Noori Kim, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.
A second new research grant went to Emmanuel Contassot, MD, project leader in the dermatology department at of the University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland, who received $5,000 to investigate whether certain elevated intracellular signals in rosacea lesions may promote the skin inflammation that may be a root cause of the condition.
The NRS also renewed its support of a pair of ongoing studies. Michelle Trautwein, MD, of the Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability at the California Academy of Sciences, continues her work on the first study to sequence the genome of Demodex mites; the study also identifies associated bacteria that may play a role in rosacea.
National Rosacea Society
Demodex mite
A second ongoing study by Tissa Hata, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, focuses on the normalization of the microbiome in people with rosacea. Dr. Hata’s work identifies types of bacteria associated with rosacea, as well as bacteria that may be associated with healthy skin after successful treatment of rosacea, including Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis.
The deadline to submit research proposals for next year’s grants is June 17, 2022. Researchers can find forms and instructions at the research grants section of the NRS website or by contacting the National Rosacea Society at 111 Lions Dr., Suite 216, Barrington, Ill., 60010, by telephone at 1-888-662-5874, or by email at info@rosacea.org.