Personalising ultraviolet treatment for psoriasis through computational modelling

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects 2-3% of the UK population. It occurs at any age and affects the patient's quality of life. At the moment, available treatment options range from topical, systemic, to phototherapy. The type of treatment chosen is based on the severity. For patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, the UVB phototherapy is the most common. This treatment, however, lacks personalisation, as the same doses are given to all patients. Because the outcomes are only visible after several weeks of treatment, it can be emotionally and financially difficult for unsuccessful patients. Hence, the need for personalised treatments based on outcome predition to indicate the success of a treatment, before giving patients its full course.

In this talk, I will describe computational modelling solutions to overcome such challenges, for both medical practitioners and patients. I will start with the previously developed 2D model to simulate epidermal development, psoriasis and clearance using 3MED UVB doses, and I will discuss challenges in using it to simulate actual patient doses and treatment outcomes. Then, I will introduce a 3D model in development, that uses more accurate representation of the epidermal structure.