Skin Pathology assessment with Optical Technologies (SPOT)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Skin Pathology assessment with Optical Technologies (SPOT): a cross-sectional clinical study in atopic dermatitis patients and healthy subjects
IRAS ID
268312
Contact name
Michael J Cork
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 6 days
Research summary
The Skin Pathology assessment with Optical Technologies (SPOT) study aims to assess the feasibility of recently developed light-based skin imaging tools such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for the study of eczema (dermatitis).
Tools such as OCT have enabled us to see beneath the skin surface, allowing us to see changes in our skin which are hidden and impossible to assess by eye, simply by shining harmless light into the skin. We want to understand what these changes represent in the broader context of eczema.
To do this, we would like to recruit 60 volunteers who have a range of different eczema severities. We would also like to recruit 20 healthy volunteers, who have never suffered from eczema. All volunteers would be aged between 11 and 60.
The study is based at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, with consent and sample-collection taking place at either the hospital's Clinical Research Facility or the Sheffield Children's Hospital. The study consists of a single main visit, which is expected to take approximately 3-4 hours, and a short follow up visit 2-4 weeks later.
During the main study visit, we will collect a range of measurements from the inner elbows and cheeks using harmless topical probes (Including OCT). These measurements include information about the skin's layers, blood flow, composition, water loss, acidity and redness. We will also collect some samples, including tape-strips, a saliva sample and blood samples. For adult participants we will also collect 2-4 skin biopsies from the inner elbows, which involves removing small pieces of skin under a local anaesthetic.
It is our hope that by demonstrating the advantages of new harmless imaging techniques, we can reduce the need for invasive procedures in the future. Long term, this may help us to improve the way we monitor and treat eczema.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/YH/0367
Date of REC Opinion
19 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion