Kristina Navrazhina, MD, PhD
Kristina Navrazhina, MD, PhD, a first-year dermatology resident at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has received a $1 million grant for research to provide a comprehensive molecular map of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)—a skin condition that causes painful lumps deep in the skin—that may define specific subtypes and identify novel therapeutic targets.
Emma Guttman, MD, PhD, the Waldman Professor and Chair of Dermatology and Immunology at the Icahn Mount Sinai, is Co-Principal Investigator on this study.
“Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, debilitating inflammatory skin disease with a highly unmet therapeutic need. There are currently no standardized HS biomarkers, which delays diagnosis and the monitoring of treatment response,” says Dr. Guttman.
Patients present with painful inflamed nodules and abscesses that progress to draining tunnels, commonly affecting places where two skin areas may touch or rub together, such as the armpits or the groin. The disease has an average onset of early adulthood and disproportionately affects underserved communities.
Despite the profound impact on the quality of life, there is still a high unmet need for better treatments. “This grant gives our team the opportunity to discover novel therapeutic options to help bridge this gap,” say Dr. Navrazhina. The grant is from Sanofi, the Paris-based pharmaceutical company.
Molecular mapping may identify early biomarkers of disease progression and capture an earlier window of opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Minimally invasive approaches of tape stripping to collect thin layers of skin and blood serum biomarker analysis will be used to study the molecular profile of HS. The data gathered from this research has the potential to connect clinical practice and therapeutic trials, thereby developing innovative and individualized treatment for HS.
Dr. Navrazhina adds, “We are inspired by our patients to conduct ground-breaking research that can ultimately be used to improve the quality of life for all HS patients.”
“This grant award highlights how the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai is encouraging and fostering young physician/scientists to become leading scientific investigators of the future,” says Dr. Guttman.