Terahertz skinometer for improved cancer prevention and treatment

皮肤癌在英国和全球的发病率正在上升。皮肤癌有两种主要类型：黑色素瘤和非黑色素瘤皮肤癌。基底细胞癌是一种非黑色素瘤皮肤癌，也是英国最常见的皮肤癌类型(80%)。众所周知，涂抹防晒霜有助于保护皮肤免受阳光的伤害，但许多人并不知道需要UVA(315-400 nm)和UVB(280-315 nm)的保护。虽然UVA的能量比UVB低，但到达地球表面的UVA量是UVB的30倍。此外，UVA更深入地渗透到皮肤中，通过氧化应激途径促进癌症发生和皮肤老化。最常见的UVA滤光片之一是阿伏苯宗，因为它在工业上很便宜，因此消费者负担得起。在这个项目中，一个由华威大学物理系、化学系、生命科学系和医学系的研究人员组成的高度跨学科的团队，以及来自路博润(主要的护肤品供应商)和TeraView有限公司(主要的太赫兹仪器供应商)的行业合作伙伴将联合起来，多管齐下解决皮肤癌的预防和治疗问题。我们将通过开发一种新的UVA、受自然启发的防晒霜来提高皮肤癌的预防效果，这种防晒霜比现有的防晒霜提供更持久、更稳定的保护。为此，我们将重新调整其他生物的光保护机制，特别是蓝藻和微藻的光保护机制。这些生物通过产生霉菌素样氨基酸(MAAS)来保护自己免受辐射的伤害。MAAS是一类分子，具有强烈的UVA吸收能力，是防晒剂的理想候选者，因为它们具有UVA过滤器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器和保湿剂(润肤剂)混合组成的；这可以构成防晒霜成分的80%。我们还认识到，防晒霜适用于皮肤。因此，为了优化防晒霜的成分，我们将开发一种革命性的表征工具-THz皮肤测量仪，它能够测量活体皮肤的参数，这是其他技术无法做到的。通过这种方式，我们将确定最佳的紫外线过滤器/润肤剂混合物。我们将调查不同的皮肤状况，如湿疹和牛皮癣，是否会从不同的润肤剂混合物中受益。太赫兹辐射是非电离的，使用低功率水平，因此热效应微不足道，因此对于人体活体成像以及材料的无损检测是安全的。它对分子间的相互作用非常敏感，如氢键，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，我们将使用太赫兹技术在体内评估润肤剂和防晒霜的有效性，以期开发一种覆盖太阳光谱中UVA和UVB区域的单一防晒霜。此外，作为我们发明的一个强大的附加功能，我们还将使用我们的THz皮肤计来改进皮肤癌等皮肤癌的手术切除或治疗，这些皮肤癌通常扩散到皮肤表面以下，因此在手术之前无法检测到它们的整体。太赫兹皮肤测量仪将被设计成准确地描述活体皮肤的特征，以便它能够确定表面下任何肿瘤的可能范围。通过这种方式，我们将在手术前确定肿瘤的完整范围，这将改善植皮计划，并减少错过任何肿瘤和肿瘤复发的可能性。因此，通过“预防”和“治疗”来对抗皮肤癌，我们的目标是减少皮肤癌在英国和全球的“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.