NCT05535738

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to answer: how do inflammation and anti-inflammatory skin therapies work in the skin? Inflammation is a protective response from the body's immune system to injury, disease, or irritation. It is a process by which your body's white blood cells and the things they make protect you from infection from outside invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
45

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for phase_2

Timeline
20mo left

Started Nov 2022

Longer than P75 for phase_2

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress68%
Nov 2022Dec 2027

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 6, 2022

Completed
4 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 10, 2022

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

November 15, 2022

Completed
4.1 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 1, 2027

Expected
12 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2027

Last Updated

November 14, 2025

Status Verified

May 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

4.1 years

First QC Date

September 6, 2022

Last Update Submit

November 12, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

skin inflammationallergic contact dermatitis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • To collect and evaluate single-cell multiomics data (RNAseq, CITEseq, TCRseq)

    Baseline and after pre-treatment with immunomodulating medication

    Up to 5 years

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Correlation of protein biomarkers collected by microneedles

    Up to 5 years

Study Arms (2)

Baseline Contact Allergen

EXPERIMENTAL

Individuals who will have allergic contact dermatitis induced via squaric acid dibutyl ester (SADBE) and/or known patch test allergens followed by skin and blood sampling. There is a protocol to sensitize individuals to SADBE if they have not previously been exposed to SADBE.

Drug: Squaric Acid Dibutyl EsterOther: Known patch test allergensDevice: MicroneedleDevice: Suction blisteringProcedure: Skin punch biopsy

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

EXPERIMENTAL

Individuals from Arm 1 (Baseline Contact Allergen) who have been exposed to SADBE and/or known patch test allergens followed by skin and blood sampling. These individuals will be pre-treated via administration of a single dose of 1 biologic from the following list: dupilumab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, canakinumab, sarilumab; or a single application of 1 topical steroid from the following list: betamethasone valerate, triamcinolone acetonide, fluticasone propionate. Allergic contact dermatitis will then be induced and the skin sampled.

Drug: Squaric Acid Dibutyl EsterOther: Known patch test allergensDrug: DupilumabDrug: AdalimumabDrug: UstekinumabDrug: GuselkumabDrug: CanakinumabDrug: SarilumabDrug: Triamcinolone AcetonideDrug: Betamethasone ValerateDrug: Fluticasone PropionateDevice: MicroneedleDevice: Suction blisteringProcedure: Skin punch biopsy

Interventions

Sensitization dose: 2% Elicitation doses: {0.0001%, 0.00025%, 0.00075%, 0.001%, 0.0025%, 0.005%, 0.0075%, 0.01%, 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.06%, 0.07%, 0.08%, 0.09%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6% 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1.0%, 1.2%, 1.4%, 1.6%, 1.8%, 2.0%}

Baseline Contact AllergenContact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

Positive patch test allergens during the course of clinical patch testing will be re-applied on the back followed by skin sampling

Baseline Contact AllergenContact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

300mg

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

40mg

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

45mg

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

100mg

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

150mg

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

200mg

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

0.1% ointment

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

0.1% ointment

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

0.005% ointment

Contact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

Painless and non-scarring skin sampling with a 7mm x 7mm patch of hydrogel-coated poly-l-lactide microneedles (\<2mm length) will be used to collect interstitial fluid

Baseline Contact AllergenContact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

Suction blistering is a technique to induce and collect blister fluid using a negative pressure instrument (Electronic Diversities Finksburg, MD). It does not require local anesthetic, stitches or pain medication following the procedure. The blisters will be no greater than 1cm in diameter and no deeper than the epidermis (\<1mm deep). This process of inducing blisters is typically less than 1 hour. After the formation of blisters, the blister fluid will be extracted using a syringe. The blister roofs will be left attached to the skin and covered with petrolatum and a bandage.

Baseline Contact AllergenContact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

A skin biopsy is the removal of a small piece of tissue, under local anesthetic.

Baseline Contact AllergenContact Allergen with Immunomodulator Pre-Treatment

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Healthy adult subjects over the age of 18 years with no skin diseases
  • Patients with dermatologic conditions such as atopic dermatitis, history of localized non-melanoma, keratinocytic skin cancer
  • Patients with previous clinical patch testing
  • UMass Medical School students and employees are eligible to participate.
  • Non-English-speaking individuals are also eligible with the assistance of an interpreter and an approved short form consent in the appropriate language.

You may not qualify if:

  • Adults unable to give consent
  • History of the following specific dermatologic conditions (which would be confounders due to their particular immunologic etiologies, specifically the TNFa and IL-17 pathways which oppose the Th2 pathway): pityriasis rubra pilaris and psoriasis
  • Patients actively receiving whole body phototherapy
  • Patients actively receiving systemic broad-spectrum immunosuppression (prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, methotrexate)
  • Any history of poor wound healing
  • History of uncontrolled diabetes
  • History of easily torn skin
  • Any known cardiac arrhythmia or history of heart failure
  • History of demyelinating disease
  • History of liver disease or alcohol abuse
  • History of melanoma
  • Pregnant women
  • Individuals who are high risk for tuberculosis including prisoners, immigrants from TB- endemic areas, or US-based travelers who have visited TB-endemic areas
  • Individuals with a self-reported personal history of infection with latent or active tuberculosis, HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C will not be included, because the type of immunotherapies that will be used in this study may interfere with these conditions.
  • For similar reasons, we will not be including individuals with signs of current or active infection, self-reported personal history of recurrent infections, or conditions that compromise the immune system, such as patients with malignancy (except non- melanoma, keratinocytic skin cancers).

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Worcester, Massachusetts, 01605, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

DermatitisDermatitis, Allergic Contact

Interventions

squaric acid dibutyl esterdupilumabAdalimumabUstekinumabguselkumabcanakinumabsarilumabTriamcinolone AcetonideBetamethasone ValerateFluticasone

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Skin DiseasesSkin and Connective Tissue DiseasesDermatitis, ContactSkin Diseases, EczematousHypersensitivity, DelayedHypersensitivityImmune System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntibodies, MonoclonalAntibodiesImmunoglobulinsImmunoproteinsBlood ProteinsProteinsAmino Acids, Peptides, and ProteinsSerum GlobulinsGlobulinsTriamcinolonePregnadienesPregnanesSteroidsFused-Ring CompoundsPolycyclic CompoundsSteroids, FluorinatedBetamethasonePregnadienetriolsAndrostadienesAndrostenesAndrostanes

Study Officials

  • Wei-Che Ko, MD

    University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Isaac (Li-Chi) Chen, MD

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 2
Allocation
NON RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
SEQUENTIAL
Model Details: There are two phases in this study. The first phase involves sensitization to a contact allergen and skin sampling to establish baseline characteristics. In the second phase, the participant will be pre-treated with a one time dose of an immunomodulating medication, re-treated with a contact allergen, followed by skin sampling.
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Professor of Dermatology

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 6, 2022

First Posted

September 10, 2022

Study Start

November 15, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Last Updated

November 14, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Locations