NPF-Funded Research

Project Summary:

Psoriasis, a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease, can significantly affect patients’ quality of life. Macrophages contribute to psoriasis pathogenesis through the production of inflammatory cytokines that drive severity in psoriatic disease development; however, the factors regulating their inflammatory phenotype in psoriasis remain unclear. We have identified that chromatin modifying enzymes (CME) can regulate macrophage inflammatory phenotype and CME, Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1(CARM1), is dysregulated in macrophages in psoriasis skin lesions. This proposal will seek to elucidate the regulation and role of CARM1 in psoriasis pathogenesis.

How will your project help improve the lives of the 125 million affected by psoriatic disease?

Given the substantial complications associated with psoriasis, this project seeks to better understand the role of epigenetic regulation in psoriatic disease pathogenesis. This work has the potential to improve the lives of people affected by psoriatic disease by identifying previously unexplored, cell-specific mechanisms that contribute to disease severity. In particular, histone modifications are chemically modifiable yet remain understudied in psoriasis, making them promising therapeutic targets. By defining how these modifications contribute to disease, this project could reveal new targets for more precise and long-term effective therapies for people living with psoriasis.

Why is psoriatic disease research important to you, personally? What role will this award play in your research efforts or career development?

Psoriasis, a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease, can significantly affect patients’ quality of life. Dysregulation of inflammatory signaling is a key driver of disease severity in psoriasis. Although current biologic therapies can induce clinical remission through broadly targeting inflammatory pathways, some patients experience disease recurrence. As an immunologist, this research award will help me understand the underlying epigenetic programming driving immune dysregulation to help develop a cure for psoriasis.

Researcher Profile:

Dr. Wolf-Fortune earned her Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Michigan (UM), where she investigated immune dysfunction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. She then completed postdoctoral training at UM, focusing on the epigenetic regulation of structural and immune cell phenotypes in chronic nonhealing diabetic wounds. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Dr. Wolf- Fortune’s lab seeks to elucidate the upstream molecular mechanisms driving psoriasis pathogenesis and contributing to the increased risk of metabolic dysfunction development. Her research focuses on understanding how immune dysregulation drives psoriasis pathogenesis to uncover novel mechanistic insights and identify innovative therapeutic strategies.