Understanding Skin Barrier Differences
Official title: Skin Barrier Adaptation
Funded at Henry Ford Health System · NIH-11128592 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how our skin's protective barrier and vitamin D production adapt to different environments, especially looking at differences between people of European and African descent.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | July 19, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $346,154 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR079888-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11128592 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is relevant to anyone interested in skin health, especially individuals of European or African ancestry, as it explores genetic differences in skin function.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate new treatments or direct clinical interventions will not directly benefit from this basic science project.
What this research studies
Our skin's outer layer, the epidermis, protects us from the environment and makes vitamin D. When this layer doesn't work well, it can lead to skin infections and inflammation. We've found that a specific gene, involucrin (IVL), which is important for skin function, shows different activity levels in people of European and African ancestry, suggesting our skin has adapted over time. This research aims to understand how IVL affects vitamin D receptor function in the skin, which is crucial for skin health and immune responses. By studying these mechanisms, we hope to learn more about how skin adapts and functions differently across populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a better understanding of skin health disparities and new ways to address skin conditions, infections, and inflammation, particularly in diverse populations.
How similar studies have gone: This project builds on recent discoveries about human epidermal evolution and a newly identified role for involucrin in modulating vitamin D receptor signaling, representing an emerging paradigm.
Where this research is happening
-
Henry Ford Health System
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Strong, Cristina de Guzman — Henry Ford Health System
- Study coordinator: Strong, Cristina de Guzman
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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.