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Institute of Child Health, University College London
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Eczema
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£85,983
Eczema is a skin condition commonly affecting babies and young children. Dr Wei-Li Di and her team at the Institute of Child Health are pioneering a new treatment derived from sunflower seeds that could help to relieve symptoms for millions of babies and children.
Current situation
Eczema is a chronic allergic skin disease that makes the skin red, dry, itchy and inflamed. Between 15 and 20 per cent of children are affected to some degree by eczema. Most of these cases occur from birth to two years and can seriously affect the quality of life of the affected child and their family. Symptoms can be exacerbated by triggers such as soaps and detergents and eczema is often linked to other allergies.
Although there are many treatments for eczema currently available, none of these are completely effective. Parents often find it hard to manage their child’s symptoms, especially preventing them from scratching. In severe cases, powerful drugs can be prescribed but these often have unwanted side effects. Research is needed to find an alternative medicine with lasting effects.
How will this help?
Dr Di’s team want to develop a treatment that will improve the skin’s function as a barrier to infection, instead of just relieving the symptoms of eczema. They will use a substance that occurs naturally in sunflower seeds to produce medicine that can be applied directly to the skin. It is hoped that the treatment will be able to reduce the severity of symptoms such as itchy, peeling skin and improve the condition of the skin.
This project aims to develop a treatment ready to be used in as little as five years. As well as this, the team hopes to find new ways to treat similar skin diseases like Netherton syndrome. The results of this project could help to improve the lives of many children affected by eczema.
You can make a difference
You can help children with eczema by getting involved with Sparks in many different ways.