Terahertz skinometer for improved cancer prevention and treatment

在英国和全球范围内，皮肤癌的发病率正在上升。有两种主要类型的皮肤癌：黑色素瘤和非黑色素瘤皮肤癌。基底细胞癌（BCC）是一种非黑色素瘤皮肤癌，是所有英国皮肤癌病例中最常见的类型（> 80%）。众所周知，涂抹防晒霜有助于保护皮肤免受阳光照射，但许多人不知道UVA（315-400 nm）和UVB（280-315 nm）保护的必要性。虽然UVA的能量低于UVB，但到达地球表面的UVA的量是UVB的30倍。此外，UVA更深入地穿透皮肤，通过氧化应激途径促进致癌和皮肤老化。最常见的UVA过滤剂之一是阿伏苯宗，因为它在工业上很便宜，因此消费者负担得起。然而，现在已经确定阿伏苯宗会发生光降解，这是一个严重的问题。在这个项目中，一个由沃里克大学物理、化学、生命科学和医学系的研究人员组成的高度跨学科的团队，以及路博润的行业合作伙伴（主要护肤品提供商）和TeraView Ltd（主要的太赫兹（THz）为基础的仪器供应商）将联手解决问题，增加皮肤癌的“预防”和“治疗”使用多，pronged方法.我们将通过开发一种新的UVA，自然启发，防晒霜提供更持久和更耐光的保护比现有的防晒霜，以提高皮肤癌的预防。为了实现这一目标，我们将重新利用其他生物体的光保护机制，特别是蓝藻和微藻。这些微生物通过产生类菌孢素氨基酸（MAAs）来保护自己免受辐射，类菌孢素氨基酸是一种强烈的UVA吸收剂，是防晒剂的理想候选者，因为它们具有UVA过滤剂和抗氧化剂的双重作用。我们认识到防晒霜是由紫外线过滤剂和保湿剂（润肤剂）混合而成的;这可以占防晒霜成分的80%。我们也认识到防晒霜适用于皮肤。因此，为了优化防晒成分，我们将开发一种革命性的表征工具，“太赫兹皮肤测量仪”，它能够测量其他技术无法测量的体内皮肤参数。通过这种方式，我们将确定最佳的紫外线过滤剂/润肤剂混合物。我们将研究不同的皮肤状况，如湿疹和牛皮癣，是否会受益于不同的润肤剂混合物。太赫兹辐射是非电离的，使用低功率水平，使得热效应是微不足道的，因此对于人体的体内成像以及材料的无损测试是安全的。它对分子间的相互作用（如氢键）非常敏感，并探测发生在皮秒（百万分之一秒）时间尺度上的分子过程（如振动，化学反应）。在这个项目中，我们将采用太赫兹技术来评估润肤剂和防晒剂在体内的有效性，以期开发覆盖太阳光谱的UVA和UVB区域的单一防晒剂。此外，作为我们发明的强大的附加特征，我们还将使用我们的太赫兹皮肤测量仪来改善皮肤癌如BCC的手术切除或“治疗”，其通常在皮肤表面下扩散，使得它们的整体在手术之前不能被检测到。太赫兹皮肤测量仪将被设计成精确地测量体内皮肤，这样它就能够确定表面下任何肿瘤的可能程度。通过这种方式，我们将在手术前确定肿瘤的全部范围，这将改善皮肤移植计划，并减少遗漏任何肿瘤和肿瘤复发的可能性。因此，通过“预防”和“治疗”来打击皮肤癌，我们的目标是减少英国和全球皮肤癌的“发病率”和“发病率”。

The incidence of skin cancer in the UK and globally is increasing. There are two main types of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is a non-melanoma skin cancer, and is the most common type (> 80%) of all UK skin cancer cases. It is well known that applying sunscreen helps to protect the skin from the sun but many people are unaware of the need for UVA (315-400 nm) as well as UVB (280-315 nm) protection. Although lower in energy than UVB, the amount of UVA reaching the earth's surface is 30 times more than for UVB. Furthermore, UVA penetrates the skin more deeply, contributing to both carcinogenesis and skin aging via oxidative stress pathways. One of the most common UVA filters is avobenzone, as it is industrially cheap and thus affordable to the consumer. However, it is now well-established that avobenzone photodegrades, which is a serious concern.In this project, a highly interdisciplinary team consisting of investigators at the University of Warwick in the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences and Medicine, as well as industry partners from Lubrizol (major skin-care provider) and TeraView Ltd (major terahertz (THz)-based instrument provider) will join forces to attack the problem of increasing skin cancer 'prevention' and 'treatment' using a multi-pronged approach. We will improve skin cancer prevention by developing a new UVA, nature-inspired, sunscreen offering longer lasting and more photostable protection than existing sunscreens. To achieve this, we will repurpose the photoprotection mechanisms of other living organisms, specifically those of cyanobacteria and microalgae. These organisms protect themselves from radiation by producing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), a family of molecules which are strong UVA absorbers and are ideal candidates for sunscreen agents, owing to their dual action as UVA filter and antioxidant.We recognise that sunscreens are composed of a UV filter blended with a moisturiser (emollient); this can make up to 80% of the composition of the sunscreen. We also recognise that sunscreens are applied to skin. Therefore, to optimise the sunscreen composition, we will develop a revolutionary characterisation tool, the 'THz skinometer', which is able to measure parameters of skin in vivo that other techniques cannot. In this way, we will determine the best UV filter/emollient blend. We will investigate whether different skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis will benefit from a different emollient blend. THz radiation is non-ionising, using low power levels such that thermal effects are insignificant and consequently safe for in vivo imaging of humans as well as non-destructive testing of materials. It is very sensitive to intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonds, and probes molecular processes (eg vibrations, chemical reactions) that occur on picosecond (millionth millionth of a second) timescales. In this project we will employ THz techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of emollients and sunscreens in vivo with a view to developing a single sunscreen that covers both the UVA and UVB regions of the solar spectrum.Furthermore, as a powerful additional feature of our invention, we will also use our THz skinometer to improve the surgical removal, or 'treatment', of skin cancers such as BCC, which often spread out beneath the surface of the skin such that their entirety cannot be detected until surgery. The THz skinometer will be designed to accurately characterise skin in vivo such that it will be able to determine the likely extent of any tumour beneath the surface. In this way, we will identify the full extent of the tumour prior to surgery which will improve skin grafting planning as well as reduce the likelihood of missing any tumour and tumour recurrence. Thus by attacking skin cancer through 'prevention' as well as 'treatment', we aim to reduce 'incidence' and 'morbidity' of skin cancer in the UK & globally.