Intense THz pulses down-regulate genes associated with skin cancer and psoriasis: a new therapeutic avenue?

We show that exposure of artificial human skin tissue to intense, picosecond-duration THz pulses affects expression levels of numerous genes associated with non-melanoma skin cancers, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Genes affected by intense THz pulses include nearly half of the epidermal differentiation complex (EDC) members. EDC genes, which are mapped to the chromosomal human region 1q21, encode for proteins that partake in epidermal differentiation and are often overexpressed in conditions such as psoriasis and skin cancer. In nearly all the genes differentially expressed by exposure to intense THz pulses, the induced changes in transcription levels are opposite to disease-related changes. Total RNA from exposed artificial human skin tissues to picosecond-duration broadband (0.2–2.5 THz) THz pulses with 1 kHz repetition rate, 1/e2 spot-size diameter of 1.5 mm and pulse energies of either 1.0 μJ or 0.1 μJ. For comparison, we have exposed skin tissues to UVA pulses (400 nm, 0.1 ps, 0.024 μJ).