VISTA as a Potential Therapeutic Target in Psoriasis
Principal Investigator: Ummugulsum Yildiz-Altay, M.D.
Institution: Yale University
Grant Mechanism: Early Career Research Grant
Funding Amount: $50,000
Project Start Date: August 1, 2025
Project End Date: July 31, 2026
Status: Active
Keywords:
Project Summary:
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting around 125 million people worldwide. Current treatments are not sufficient for all patients, highlighting the need for new options. A promising approach is immune checkpoint agonism which acts like ‘brakes’ on the immune system to prevent excessive inflammation. In psoriasis, these brakes might not work effectively, and immune checkpoint therapies could help restore balance and reduce inflammation. VISTA (V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation), an immune checkpoint found in psoriasis, has shown promise in treating autoimmune disease in mouse models. Based on existing studies and our data, we hypothesize that VISTA plays a key role in psoriasis and may offer a new treatment.
How will your project help improve the lives of the 125 million affected by psoriatic disease?
Psoriasis affects millions of people worldwide, often causing significant physical discomfort and emotional distress. Unfortunately, current treatments are not effective for all patients. My project focuses on studying a specific immune checkpoint receptor called VISTA, which may play a key role in controlling inflammation in psoriasis. By better understanding how VISTA works, we hope to uncover new therapeutic pathways that could lead to more effective and targeted treatments, ultimately improving the quality of life for those living with psoriatic disease.
Why is psoriatic disease research important to you, personally? What role will this award play in your research efforts or career development?
As a physician and the daughter of a mother affected by autoimmune skin disease, I have seen how deeply conditions like psoriasis affect patients, not only physically, but also emotionally and socially. This award allows me to continue my postdoctoral training and explore innovative therapeutic targets such as VISTA, which could open new doors in treating chronic skin inflammation in psoriasis. The support from this award plays a vital role in advancing my research and strengthens my career goal of becoming a physician-scientist focused on improving outcomes for patients with autoimmune skin diseases.
Researcher Profile:
Dr. Ummugulsum Yildiz-Altay is a physician with a clinical background in family medicine and specialized research training in dermatology, immunology, and translational science. Her research focuses on the immune mechanisms underlying autoimmune and inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis, cutaneous lupus erythematosus and scarring alopecia.
After earning her medical degree and completing residency in Turkey, Dr. Yildiz-Altay moved to the United States to pursue research in dermatologic immunology. At UMass Chan Medical School, she contributed to studies on T cell-driven inflammation and fibrosis in discoid lupus, using murine models and spatial transcriptomics. She is currently a postdoctoral associate at Yale School of Medicine, working in Dr. Matthew Vesely’ laboratory. Her current research focuses on immune cell-keratinocyte interactions and the identification of new therapeutic targets in psoriasis and other autoimmune skin diseases.
Dr. Yildiz-Altay’s long-term goal is to bridge clinical medicine and molecular research to improve treatment strategies for patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases.