Clarifying the Influence of Different Skin Layer Structure on Ultraviolet Light Therapy in Atopic Dermatitis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K14670
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 19020:Thermal engineering-related
• Research Institution: Shibaura Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kono Takahiro 芝浦工業大学, 工学部, 助教 (30801790)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 光物性 / 光線治療 / 紫外線療法 / 皮膚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, ultraviolet light therapy has been attracting attention as one of the treatments for atopic dermatitis, and has been actively investigated mainly in clinical studies. However, it has not been possible to clarify how UV light actually penetrates the skin during the treatment. This is because there is no technology to measure the optical properties of the skin, which has a complex structure.
In this study, we developed a technology that can measure the optical properties of each layer of layered skin and the thickness of the skin layer structure, and conducted measurements on human skin. Experimental verification proved that this technology enabled the measurement of optical properties of the skin layer structure, which had not been feasible before.

Free Research Field

熱工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で紫外線の浸透深さを明確化する手法が確立できれば，紫外線療法を行う前に患者個人の真皮にある病変に十分な紫外線を届かせることができ,有効な治療となるかを予測可能になることが期待できる．治療期間は3ヶ月程度 (週1～3回)かかり，成果がでない場合の負担が大きいため，患者個人に有効な治療となるかを事前に判断可能にすることには大きな意義がある．また，同様の紫外線療法は白斑や乾癬などの疾患でも試みられており，今後の発展が望まれている．本研究で紫外線の浸透深さを予測するモデルを構築することができれば，それらの疾患に対する研究にも応用可能となり，大きな波及効果を生む．