# Explant human skin perfusion model to study mechanisms of chemical injury and mitigation

> **NIH NIH R34** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2024 · $236,140

## Abstract

The changing geopolitical environment has increased the risk of mass population exposure to chemical
vesicants-induced skin injuries from a large-scale incident improvised by a state or terrorist organization
executed act but there are few countermeasures available having limited efficacy. The long-term goal is to
develop a potent therapy for the treatment of chemical vesicant-induced injuries and its addition to the national
stockpile. The overall objectives of this proposal are to (i) equip our laboratory with trained human resources
and facilities that enable us to conduct research in the area of chemical vesicant-countermeasures
development and (ii) understand the dynamics and mechanism(s) of vesicants-induced skin injuries. The
central hypothesis is that understanding the dynamics of human skin response and the mechanism of the
response to chemical vesicants is the key to designing efficient countermeasures. The rationale for this project
is that our novel human skin perfusion model offers a unique opportunity to test the dynamics and
mechanism(s) of human skin injury to vesicants in a controlled environment. The central hypothesis will be
tested by pursuing three specific aims: 1); Equip our laboratory and acquire essential training to handle toxic
vesicants and human skin perfusion system. 2); Implement a human skin bioreactor workflow for rigorous
evaluation of the effects of NM and PAO vesicants 3) Investigate the mechanism(s) of vesicant-induced cell
injury and death pathways in human skin. Under the first aim, we will procure additional safety equipment and
get the training to handle toxic vesicants and operate the human skin perfusion system. The second aim will
focus to study the dynamics of vesicants-induced injury in response to different doses and exposure times.
While the third aim is focused to determine the mechanism(s) of the injury. The proposal is innovative, as it
aims to perform pre-clinical mechanistic studies using a novel platform in human tissues. The proposed
research is significant because the successful completion of this project will provide a strong scientific platform
for investigating targeted countermeasures strategies against vesicant-induced skin injuries and due to the use
of the human tissue as a model the approval pathway of countermeasures for inclusion into the national
stockpile can be accelerated.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10790482
- **Project number:** 1R34AR083572-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Asim Ejaz
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $236,140
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-12-08 → 2026-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10790482

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10790482, Explant human skin perfusion model to study mechanisms of chemical injury and mitigation (1R34AR083572-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10790482. Licensed CC0.

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