NPF-Funded Research

Project Summary:

Drugs that target specific immune cells (biologics) have transformed the treatment of psoriasis. However, their long-term use is associated with high costs and potential side effects. In theory, patients who achieve clear skin could stop treatment and only restart when symptoms are about to return. In practice, it is difficult to predict when the disease will reoccur.

Here, we aim to identify immune changes that precede psoriasis recurrence. We will focus on the cells that control inflammation (known as Tregs). We plan to show that biologics boost Treg function and that stopping treatment slowly reverses these benefits until symptoms return. Thus, we expect to identify Treg changes that could be monitored to anticipate psoriasis recurrence.

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

The biologic drugs used for the treatment of psoriasis are currently administered using a one-size-fits-all approach, whereby the interval between drug infusions is the same for everybody. However, we know from clinical studies that some people could maintain a clear skin even if their drug dosing intervals were extended. So, in theory, patients who achieve clear skin could stop treatment and only restart when symptoms are about to return. In practice, it is difficult to predict when the disease will reoccur.
The aim of our research is to fill this gap by identifying immune changes (biomarkers) that anticipate the recurrence of psoriasis. This will pave the way for larger studies to validate the utility of the biomarker, with potential to facilitate the prediction of disease recurrence and personalisation of drug dosing intervals.

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

I have been investigating the genetic and immune basis of psoriasis since I was a postdoc. My interest in the disease has shaped my career and personal life, driving me to leave my home country (Italy) to move to the UK. Investigating the causes of psoriasis in two British institutions (University of Leicester and King’s College London) has enabled me to be at the forefront of genetic research for nearly 20 years. During this time, I have guided the professional development of several trainees, who continue to investigate the causes of chronic inflammatory disease. Most importantly, I have been able to contribute to a better understanding of skin inflammation (e.g. through my work on pustular forms of psoriasis) and witness how research can transform the treatment of a debilitating disease.

As psoriasis treatment improve and a cure appears within reach, I have become increasingly interested in the drivers of durable remission. This award will enable me to investigate the immune changes that accompany drug-induced remission and disease recurrence. As I set up a new lab at the University of British Columbia, the support of the NPF will also allow me to expand my team and ensure that they have access to the latest technologies for the study of the immune system.

Researcher Profile:

Dr Francesca Capon obtained a BSc in Biological Sciences and a PhD in Medical Genetics from “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy. Her interest in the genetics of psoriasis then took her to the University of Leicester (UK), where she was a Wellcome Trust Traveling Research Fellow for two years.

Francesca joined King’s College London as a Lecturer in 2006 and was subsequently promoted to Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor (2022). In 2024, Francesca was appointed as Donald Rix BC Leadership Chair in Genetic Medicine, at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada). Her lab continues to investigate the genetic and immune determinants of psoriasis, pursuing research questions that are consistently driven by unmet clinical need.