Could diagnosing chronic skin conditions one day be as simple as scanning a bar code? Researchers at A*STAR and The National Skin Centre, Singapore, are exploring this possibility using multispectral Raster-Scanning Optoacoustic Mesoscopy (ms-RSOM), an imaging technology that uses laser light and sound waves to create detailed 3D images of the skin. These images reveal features such as blood vessel thickness, oxygen levels and skin layer thickness, providing a gentle, biopsy-free method of monitoring chronic skin conditions.
Psoriasis, an inflammatory scaly skin condition, is currently assessed using clinical subjective scoring like the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), which rely solely on visual inspection. However, PASI can miss subtle changes happening beneath the skin’s surface. “Psoriasis presents with a variety of lesion types and severities, which can complicate the standardisation of imaging parameters and biomarker thresholds for accurate quantification,” explained U.S. Dinish, a Principal Investigator at the Translational Biophotonics Laboratory at the A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*STAR SRL).
Researchers led by Dinish and Distinguished Principal Scientist at A*STAR SRL, Malini Olivo, collaborated with the National Skin Centre, Singapore, to investigate ms-RSOM’s potential for diagnosing and monitoring psoriasis. In their study, eight patients with varying severities of psoriasis underwent imaging sessions. By capturing 3D images of the skin before and after treatment, ms-RSOM identified increased blood oxygenation, total blood volume, and epidermal thickening in affected areas, all correlating with disease severity.
“Structural details, such as epidermal thickness and vascular density, allow for precise assessment of inflammation and tissue remodelling, which are key indicators of disease severity,” said Olivo.
The technology also demonstrated its utility for monitoring treatment efficacy: it detected reductions in psoriasis biomarkers that matched improvements in the patients’ PASI scores. “ms-RSOM can be repeatedly used for monitoring disease progression and response to treatment in a non-invasive manner, without causing discomfort or harm to patients,” said Dinish. Its real-time imaging capabilities enable clinicians to adjust treatments more efficiently and accurately.
However, challenges remain before the technique can be implemented clinically. Limited depth penetration in darker skin tones and the need for portable, user-friendly devices are obstacles the team plans to address. Future efforts by the team include expanding clinical studies to larger, more diverse populations and developing robust algorithms to accelerate data analysis.
The A*STAR-affiliated researchers contributing to this research are from the A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*STAR SRL).
