Salt in the Skin and Eczema
Official title: Sodium in the Skin and Atopic Dermatitis: The SIS-AD Study
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11187118 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether high salt in the diet and skin makes atopic dermatitis worse and whether lowering salt can help people with eczema.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $625,254 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR082831-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187118 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with atopic dermatitis who can complete dietary tracking and attend skin testing visits, including outreach to Black/African American participants, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without atopic dermatitis or those whose eczema is unlikely driven by salt-related inflammation may not see benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will measure how much sodium is stored in the skin and track participants' salt intake and skin barrier health. They will compare skin sodium levels with eczema severity and how long symptoms last. The team will look at whether people with higher skin sodium have more inflammation linked to atopic dermatitis. They will also explore if reducing dietary salt or skin sodium storage could improve symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to simple changes like lowering salt intake to ease eczema symptoms for some patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies link skin sodium and inflammation, but applying this idea specifically to atopic dermatitis and testing dietary reduction is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abuabara, Katrina Elaine — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Abuabara, Katrina Elaine
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Stopping Atopic Dermatitis and Allergy: Preventing Food Allergy by Protecting the Skin
A large study in infants at high risk for allergies tests whether using a skin barrier cream together with early, proactive skin care can prevent peanut allergy and other food allergies.
-
SEAL Study: Preventing peanut allergy by protecting baby skin
This trial tests whether using a skin-emollient and proactive skin steroids early in life can prevent peanut allergy in high-risk infants.
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SEAL Study: Prevent allergy by protecting the baby’s skin
A very young group of high-risk babies will try a early skin-care plan to reduce eczema and prevent peanut allergy.
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Understanding how skin fungi affect atopic dermatitis in adults
A study will look at how the skin's fungal community influences atopic dermatitis in adults and whether this understanding could lead to new treatments.
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Preventing eczema-related allergies by strengthening infants' skin barrier
This project will see if using a trilipid skin cream plus proactive mild topical steroids in infants with early dry skin or eczema lowers their chances of developing food allergies.
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Personalized predictions for how atopic dermatitis may progress in kids and teens
A patient-friendly plan to forecast how early-onset eczema might evolve in children and young people using simple health clues and data from diverse settings.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.