The National Rosacea Society (NRS) announced it has awarded funding for three new studies, in addition to continuing support for two ongoing studies, as part of its research grants program to increase knowledge and understanding of the causes and other key aspects of rosacea that may lead to improvements in its management, prevention or potential cure.

“Research supported by the NRS has led to important insights into the physiology of the disorder, providing an essential foundation for developing new and better treatments,” said Dr. Martin Steinhoff, chairman of dermatology and director of the Charles Institute of Dermatology, University College, Dublin, and a member of the NRS Medical Advisory Board, which selects research proposals for funding. “In addition, our growing knowledge is now pointing toward potentially meaningful connections between rosacea and other systemic illnesses.”

Dr. Luis Garza, associate professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University, and colleagues were awarded $15,000 to study epigenetic lesions in rosacea. Epigenetics is the study of how the essential DNA – the molecule that contains the genetic instructions – may be modified to behave in certain ways. They noted that this process may be responsible for why rosacea persists even though keratinocytes, the predominant cell type in the outermost layer of skin, slough off and are replaced approximately every two months.

Dr. Wen-Qing Li, assistant professor of dermatology at Brown University, was awarded $25,000 to clarify how hormone use and hormone levels associated with menopause and during pregnancy may affect the risk of developing rosacea. The study will use data from the well-known Nurses’ Health Study II, an ongoing prospective cohort (a group of subjects with a common defining characteristic) with biennially updated questionnaires on the medical history of 116,000 nurses since 1989, including more than 6,000 women diagnosed with rosacea.

Dr. Anna Di Nardo, associate professor of dermatology at the University of California-San Diego, and colleagues were awarded $25,000 to continue their quest to determine whether the release of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides, key players in the body’s normal innate immune system response, is central to the connection between the nervous system and skin inflammation through the activation of mast cells in rosacea. In previous research, Dr. Di Nardo showed that mast cells were highly significant in the overproduction of cathelicidins.

The NRS also continued to fund studies in 2016 by Dr. Gideon Smith, assistant physician in dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital and instructor at Harvard University, and colleagues, who are investigating whether individuals with rosacea may be at higher risk for other disorders involving the vascular system, such as heart disease and high cholesterol; and Dr. Lori Lee Stohl, research associate in dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical School, who is examining how biochemicals released during stress may increase the number of mast cells, which have been linked to rosacea.

Researchers interested in applying for grants may obtain forms and instructions through the research grants section of the NRS website, rosacea.org, or by contacting the National Rosacea Society, 111 Lions Dr., Ste. 216, Barrington, Illinois 60010, telephone 1-888-662-5874, email info@rosacea.org. The deadline for submitting proposals to receive a research grant in 2017 is June 18, 2017.

Because the cause of rosacea is unknown, a high priority in awarding grants is given to studies relating to its pathogenesis, progression, mechanism of action, cell biology and potential genetic factors. Proposals relating to epidemiology, predisposition, quality of life and relationships with environmental and lifestyle factors may also be considered.

Members of the NRS medical advisory board include chairman Dr. Richard Granstein, chairman of dermatology, Weill Cornell Medical College; Dr. Hilary Baldwin, associate professor of dermatology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Dr. Lynn Drake, Harvard Medical School and former AAD president; Dr. Richard Gallo, chief, division of dermatology, University of California-San Diego; Dr. Julie Harper, clinical associate professor of dermatology, University of Alabama-Birmingham; Dr. Sewon Kang, chairman of dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Dr. Mark Mannis, chairman of ophthalmology, University of California-Davis; Dr. Frank Powell, associate professor of dermatology, University College of Dublin Charles Institute, and former president of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology; and Dr. Martin Steinhoff, chairman of dermatology and director, University College of Dublin Charles Institute.

The NRS Research Grants Program is funded by donations from individuals. To donate, click here.