PHYSICAL SCIENCES INC. — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: NIAMS

Description

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Ultraviolet radiation A UVA penetrates deeper in human skin than ultraviolet radiation B UVB and has been shown to account for the deeper mutations found in squamous cell carcinoma skin cancers UVA is known to be a potent inducer of singlet oxygen a known mutagen Physical Sciences Inc PSI and the Sivamani research group at the University of California at Davis UCD propose to develop an instrument with the sensitivity required to detect the weak luminescence caused by singlet oxygen generated under typical solar illumination PSI has developed a prototype instrument platform that has previously been used to demonstrate real time in vivo measurements of singlet oxygen generation from skin in healthy human subjects and from tumor laden rats undergoing photodynamic therapy During the proposed SBIR development program PSI will improve the instrument sensitivity by adding a novel tunable spectral filter and optical detection system to provide the increased sensitivity required to measure the weak singlet oxygen luminescence signal emitted through the skin PSI will fabricate and calibrate the instrument to demonstrate a singlet oxygen concentration detection limit of picomolar PSI scientists will then transport the novel sensor t UCD to demonstrate its use in measuring singlet oxygen production in ex vivo and in vivo measurements of human skin of different types PSI will work with leading vendors of skin therapies including Bayer Healthcare to create an instrument optimized for widespread use in product development and research The resulting commercial product will find application in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries to develop and characterize novel skin therapies for different skin types to reduce the incidence of skin cancer and UV induced skin lesions PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE The resulting instrument will find application in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries to develop and characterize novel skin therapies for different skin types These applications include development of improved sunscreens for prevention of skin cancer and skin aging An estimated million new incidences of skin cancer are diagnosed in andgt million Americans each year with the incidences reportedly increasing at the rate of to annually The annual estimated cost of treating all skin cancers in the U S has been estimated to be $ Billion In the sunscreen market in the U S was reported to be $ B The proposed instrument therefore has tremendous potential for clinical impact and commercial application