Pediatric dermatologists care for children with a broad range of rare and common disorders, such as severe inflammatory skin diseases that require systemic therapy, disfiguring vascular birthmarks, and genetic skin disorders that can be life-endangering. There is a paucity of FDA-approved therapies for these severe conditions and a great need for standardized treatment protocols and methods to measure response to therapy. The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) was established to address this therapeutic shortfall. PeDRA's vision is to create and sustain collaborative research networks that conduct well-designed, high-quality multicenter studies to better understand, prevent, treat and cure dermatologic diseases in children. The PeDRA Annual Conference is central to achieving these goals and will include didactic lectures, interactive discussions led by experts in research methodology, poster sessions, and disease-focused small-group meetings.
The specific aims are: 1) To provide new and established PeDRA investigators with an essential knowledge base and infrastructure to conduct high-quality multicenter research in pediatric skin disorders;2) To create a bridge between basic scientists and clinicians to enhance opportunities for translational research initiatives;and 3) To identify and prioritize the clinical needs and therapeutic opportunities in four disease- specific areas: inflammatory skin diseases, hemangiomas, epidermolysis bullosa, and disorders of keratinization. An additional goal is to expand the research mission beyond the established working groups to other disorders with need.
The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) was established to promote and facilitate high-quality, collaborative clinical, translational and basic science studies to improve the health outcomes of children with skin disease. The Annual Meetings proposed here will provide training for current and upcoming investigators in the design and conduct of multicenter clinical research protocols. They will facilitate research groups in prioritizing research needs, in establishing partnerships with bench scientists and patient support groups, and in initiating clinical studies and drug trials for both common and rare skin diseases.
| Siegel, Dawn H; Choate, Keith A; Drolet, Beth A et al. (2014) Proceedings of the Inaugural Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) conference. J Invest Dermatol 134:2671-2674 |
