Comparative transcriptome analyses of psoriasis and squamous cell carcinoma
Abstract
Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory, non-communicable disease. Psoriasis is characterized by keratinocyte hyperproliferation and immune cell infiltration. In general, hyperproliferation of cells is the fundamental process in the development of cancers. Despite the chronic hyperproliferative nature of the disease, psoriasis is never diagnosed as a precancerous condition. Moreover, it is intriguing how psoriasis skin protects from developing into skin cancer. To elucidate this, we aim to identify distinct and common key molecular signatures and pathways that are involved in the development of psoriasis and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To achieve this, we will conduct bioinformatic analysis using transcriptomic data archived in public repositories such as GEO. Initially, we will use bulk RNA sequencing data to compare psoriasis transcriptome with SCC. In addition, we will perform single-cell transcriptomics analysis to identify the involvement of distinct cellular populations in the pathogenesis of disease. Finally, the identified significant genes and their tumour-suppressive role in psoriasis will be further assessed in cell and tissue models. In conclusion, this study may enable us to identify protective molecular signatures residing in the psoriasis skin and these can be future molecular targets for SCC.
