This project collects matched blood samples and tape-stripped samples (scarless biopsies) from a total of 2500 patients with inflammatory and cancerous skin conditions.
What is the issue for NSW?
Skin conditions are the third most common reason for GP visits, and skin diseases are frequent in specialist practices and inpatients in hospitals. Many doctors rely on surgical biopsies and histopathological diagnosis for help, a costly process that also leaves scars. New non-invasive techniques for skin diagnosis are needed, to minimise cost and facilitate diagnosis.
What does the research aim to do and how?
This collection will allow identification of molecular markers that enable development of accurate and non-invasive or minimally invasive diagnostic techniques. These markers of disease will be useful to understand the response to therapy.
The collection will also allow the team to study the possible causes of the skin conditions, leading to a better understanding of the mechanism behind their initiation, development, and progression.