SPOT study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Systematic Phenotyping of Inflammatory Pilosebaceous Conditions: a longitudinal, observational cohort study
IRAS ID
357873
Contact name
Xinyi (Beibei) DuHarpur
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 31 days
Research summary
Skin conditions like acne and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are common, with acne being the 8th most common disease globally, and HS affecting an estimated 1% of the UK population. Acne causes spots on the face and upper body, while HS creates painful lumps, abscesses, and tunnels under the skin in places like the armpits and groin. These conditions develop due to inflammation inside skin structures called pilosebaceous units, which consist of hair follicles and sebaceous (oil) glands. These conditions can affect confidence, mental health, and everyday life. Even though they’re common, treatments don’t always work well, and we still don’t fully understand why these skin problems happen in the first place.
The SPOT study aims to learn more by closely following people with acne, HS, and other similar skin issues over time. We will carefully record details about each participant’s skin, collect photos and scan images of affected skin, and map this information to samples like blood, skin, hair, urine and stool (poo samples). We will use established but novel techniques to study cells, genes, proteins, and bacteria, with a particular focus on how treatments like antibiotics and immune-targeting therapies affect them over time.
The goal is to find new signs, called biomarkers, which could help indicate how a person’s skin condition might develop, how well different treatments might work, and when a flare-up might happen These discoveries will also give us valuable insight into the biological processes behind these conditions.
The SPOT study ultimately aims to build a comprehensive data resource that uniquely combines multiple types of data. By combining this detailed information, we hope to improve how we diagnose, monitor, and treat these skin problems in the future. By doing this, we will improve our understanding of how and why they develop, and aid in the development of new treatments.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SW/0011
Date of REC Opinion
20 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion