Clinical and molecular indicators of malignant progression of actinic keratosis

Status:

ongoing

Aims:

The research project aims to establish clinical and molecular features predicting progression of actinic keratosis (AK) to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), enabling risk stratification of AK patients. As a consequence, unnecessary medical treatments of patients without risk of AK progression will be avoided. On the other hand, patients with increased risk of progression may be controlled for progression more closely or will be treated in early disease stages. By evaluating both clinical, histological and patient-specific data, a scoring system is intended to be developed that allows to distinguish patients with low and high risk of cSCC development. Molecular factors involved in carcinogenesis will also be included in the scoring system. Based on expression levels they may be used as biomarkers of malignant progression of AK.

Activities/Methods:

The project includes a prospective observational study of 300 patients of the Department of Dermatology, St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, presenting with one or more AK lesions that were monitored in 6 month intervals over 5 years with respect to progression of AK lesions. Patient data, results of clinical examinations and histology will be saved in a project-specific data base. In addition, a tissue bank will be established to store biopsies taken for molecular tests. Due to the involvement of epidermal-mesemchymal transition (EMT) processes in tumor entities other than cSCC, expression of transcription factors Zeb-1, Zeb-2, Twist-1, Snail-1, Slug, as well as EMT-associated markers E-cadherin, P-cadherin and vimentin will be analyzed quantitatively on both transcript and protein level, in order to evaluate the significance of these factors for malignant progression of AK.

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