A pair of researchers from the University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center and the College of Medicine-Tucson have received $917,000 in funding as part of a two-phase grant to investigate novel immune-based approaches to prevent keratinocytic skin cancers.

Sally E. Dickinson, a research associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology, and Dr. Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, chair of the Department of Dermatology, want to identify early immune signals that appear as skin transitions from healthy to sun-damaged.

“Non-melanoma skin cancers like squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma are incredibly common but often underfunded and overlooked, especially in regard to clinical care, public health education, prevention science and research,” Dickinson said. “This research is aimed at helping address some of these concerns by creating solutions that can help people at high risk before more invasive treatments like surgery or chemotherapy are necessary.”

The researchers will examine human skin samples to track immune-related proteins, especially those involving immune checkpoints, which help prevent an overactive immune system from becoming too aggressive and harming healthy tissues.

The efforts, according to the University of Arizona, could lead to the development of topical treatments that can activate the body’s own immune defenses to prevent cancer before it starts.

The project, “Investigating novel targets for topical immunoprevention of keratinocytic skin cancer,” was one of five awards funded this fall by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Immunoprevention Network.

Curiel-Lewandrowski, who co-directs the Skin Cancer Institute and is a member of the BIO5 Institute, has led multiple clinical trials in skin cancer chemoprevention.

BIO5 Institute is a group of researchers from 19 colleges and 84 departments from across the University of Arizona.

“Our hope is to turn complex biological science into real-world targeted interventions that improve lives and reduce healthcare costs,” Curiel-Lewandrowski said. “This grant supports a vital step toward accomplishing that mission.”

An additional $2 million in funding is available contingent upon the successful completion of milestones, according to the University of Arizona.

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