Project 1: 5FU and Vitamin D as Neoadjuvants for Photodynamic Priming to Enhance Skin Cancer Therapy
Edward Maytin, MD PhD
Project 1 Lead
- Staff, Department of Dermatology; Section Head, Molecular Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic
- Associate Staff, Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic
- Assistant Professor, Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
- Adjunct Professor, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland State University
Department of Dermatology
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195
Our lab studies wound healing and skin cancer. In the case of wound healing, we are interested in how the extracellular matrix, a sort of scaffold in the body, can regulate inflammation and scarring in healing wounds. We aim to develop new treatments for poorly healing skin wounds such as leg ulcers. For skin cancer, we are trying to improve a technique called photodynamic therapy (PDT), in which a sensitizing drug (usually a cream) is applied on the skin, and then a laser or other strong light source is used to activate the drug to kill cancer cells. Our laboratory has discovered that when a skin cancer is pre-treated with certain drugs, it becomes much more sensitive to PDT. We hope to make PDT work for thicker and more serious skin cancers.
Project 1 Team:
 Sanjay Anand, PhD Assistant Professor |
 Yan Wang, MD PhD Postdoctoral Fellow |
 Judith Mack, PhD Project Scientist |
 Urvashi Kaw, PhD Project Scientist |
Previous Project 1 Members:
 Akshat Paliwal, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow |
 Kishore Rollakanti, BS Graduate Student |
 Christine Warren, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow |