From dermatopathology to the courtroom—The promise of cutaneous molecular biomarkers

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1710443...

Published: 2026-01-27T00:00:00Z

The article discusses the transition from dermatopathology to forensic practice through skin molecular biomarkers. Molecular biomarkers, such as cytokines, chemokines and inflammatory mediators, serve to evaluate the activity of skin diseases, such as hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. In hidradenitis suppurativa, TNF-α, IL-1β and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important in indicating the severity and progress of the disease. In atopic dermatitis, biomarkers such as eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), CCL26, CCL27, CCL18 and CCL22 signal increased migration of immune cells into the skin. In psoriasis, serum levels of 8-OHdG are related to early diagnosis and HBD-2 to disease activity. Post-treatment photodynamic therapy (PDT) reduces dysplasia and atypical keratinocytes in actinic keratosis, with an increase in MMP and TGF-beta in the early phase. These biomarkers enable accurate diagnosis, personalized therapy and prognosis in skin diseases.[1][2][3]