A topical cream may prevent or slow growth of some common skin cancers
An experimental cream developed at Penn Medicine that blocks a specific enzyme may offer a precise, better‑tolerated path to prevent and treat cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
1 min. read
Researchers at Penn Medicine have developed topical cream that activates the skin’s immune defenses and suppressed tumor growth in two preclinical models of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), one of the most common cancers in the world. The results are published in a new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Developed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, the cream works by blocking LSD1, an enzyme that suppresses immune‑activating pathways in the skin.
“What’s striking is that a simple topical cream can use the skin’s own machinery to recruit and activate immune cells that attack tumors,” says senior author Brian C. Capell, an assistant professor of dermatology at Penn. “We are carrying out some more studies to refine the formulation this coming year, and we hope to begin a phase 1 clinical trial in the next 1-2 years. Ideally, this cream could be used directly on cancerous and precancerous spots.”
In the study, Penn researchers formulated a low‑dose topical inhibitor of LSD1, an enzyme that normally acts as a “brake” on certain immune‑activating pathways in epidermal cells. By “lifting the brake,” the cream prompted skin cells to signal for immune help. Those cells played a key role in slowing tumor growth.
The researchers found that blocking retinoic acid signaling, a naturally occurring and important type of basic cellular signaling that tells cells how to grow and develop, reversed many of the skin level changes induced by the cream. Additionally, destroying CD4⁺ T cells (a type of immune cell) eliminated its tumor suppression. The findings suggest the therapy works by priming communication between skin cells and the immune system to enable targeted anti‑tumor responses.
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