More than 100 participants from throughout the University and across the nation attended the UM-SBDRC Annual Symposium, which took place at the Kahn Auditorium at the UM Biomedical Science Research Building in Ann Arbor and was live-streamed on Zoom.
Aptly held on February 29, 2024- leap day - the event featured Dr. Gilliet's keynote lecture describing pioneering advancements in precision medicine to deliver improved treatment outcomes for patients with inflammatory skin diseases, such as cutaneous lupus, lichen planus and various forms of psoriasis. The Gilliet Lab at the University of Lausanne is focused on the understanding of mechanisms that initiate and maintain inflammation in the skin.
Updates on research projects supported by the Center's Pilot awards included presentations from Olesya Plazyo, PhD (VGLL3/ IL-7 axis in autoimmunity); Tom Kerppola, PhD (Stress and innate immunity – moderation of cytokine transcription by the multifunctional Keap1 protein); Claudia Loebel, MD, PhD and Brendon Baker, PhD (Lineage-specific ECM labeling in skin fibrosis models”) and Pei-Suen (Eliza) Tsou, PhD (Interplay between calcium signaling and mitochondrial oxidative stress in scleroderma fibrosis).
Information regarding Center initiatives of the Functional Analytics Core included presentations by Lam (Alex) Tsoi, PhD and Rachael Bogle (Bioinformatics on Spatial analysis capabilities: data and platforms) and by Mrinal Sarkar, PhD (Overcoming Transfection Resistance: CRISPR's Path to Gene Editing Success). In addition, Andrzej Dlugosz, MD, Co-director of the Center's Animal Modeling Core, presented “Advances in Fluorescent Cell Fate Tracking”, showcasing the Center's expertise in utilizing this sophisticated technique in murine models of disease.
The Symposium's poster session yielded one first-place poster award, two second-place awards and four third-place awards:
First:
- Benjamin Klein (Epidermal ZBP1 stabilizes mitochondrial Z-DNA to drive UV-induced IFN signaling in autoimmune photosensitivity)
Second:
- Enze Xing (Immunological Differences Between Palmoplantar and Non-palmoplantar Skin)
- LiJyun Syu (CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in postnatal epidermis drives squamous tumor development)
Third:
- Subhash Arya (Neutrophil secrete exosome-associated DNA (SEAD) to promote resolution)
- Tran Do (Single-Cell Analysis Reveals Distinct Subpopulations of T Cells and Elevated IL26 and IL17 Levels in Palmoplantar Pustulosis Lesions)
- Alexandre Ermilov (Co-transcription Factors YAP and TAZ Regulate Dermal Extracellular Matrix homeostasis and Scar Formation in Mouse Skin)
- Vincent van Drongelen (Exploring VGLL3-TEAD interaction as a potential therapeutic target in lupus)
This successful and well-attended annual event is hosted by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, UM Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-based Center, UM Medical School and Department of Dermatology, and is open to all with an interest in skin biology and disease research.
