On the 10th of January 2025, Salma Assil successfully defended her PhD thesis on pharmacological challenge models. Inflammation is the body’s physiological response to injury or infection, which, when prolonged, can lead to chronic inflammatory conditions, including skin-related diseases with significant societal and individual impact. Despite the growing number of therapeutic agents in development, drug discovery remains lengthy, highlighting the need for innovative approaches. A promising strategy is the development of pharmacological challenge models, such as the imiquimod (IMQ) skin model, which mimics psoriasiform lesions and activates relevant immune pathways.
This thesis aims to develop and characterize a mechanistic model for studying skin inflammation in healthy volunteers using imiquimod, with the goal of advancing drug development programs. The inflammatory response to the model was characterized through a wide range of assessments involving imaging, biophysical, cellular, and molecular assessments.
The thesis shows the successful implementation of the IMQ challenge from animals to humans exploring the similarities and the differences between the species. The systematic framework includes model optimization, benchmarking with an anti-inflammatory compound, and proof-of-mechanism studies for novel drug candidates. Implementing the IMQ challenge streamlines drug development by enabling early, informed decisions, potentially transforming clinical research to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
You can find her thesis here
