Skin Cancer: Research
(asked on 13th February 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into squamous cell carcinoma in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.
Answered by
Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) invests £1.5 billion per year on health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The NIHR supports and delivers research in the following many aspects skin and dermatological conditions including linking genetic research and personalised medicine with common skin diseases such as acne, drug reactions, eczema, and psoriasis and skin cancers including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. It also supports research into skin infections such as herpes simplex, fungal infections, impetigo and cellulitis along with children’s skin disorders and rare skin diseases.
UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects and strategic investments. Dermatology research supported by MRC covers the breadth of skin and skin associated diseases including inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin cancer research. This includes basic biological mechanisms of disease to early-stage interventions such as diagnostics and treatment development.
In addition to the individual awards stated below, MRC supports other active research grants in the noted areas through strategic awards made to MRC Research Units.
- The Translational skin immunology programme at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit at the University of Oxford investigates the role of T-cells in Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.
- The Translational Melanoma Research Group from the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh is investigating the mechanisms of melanoma development & drug resistance through their programme Targeting developmental cell states in melanoma
Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:
| NIHR | UKRI |
Acne | NIHR allocated £2,148,574.06 for research concerning acne research in 2023-24. | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for acne research in 2023-24. |
Alopecia | NIHR did not allocate any funds for research concerning alopecia research during 2023-24 | UKRI have committed £215,666 for alopecia research for a 3 year period commencing March 2024. |
Psoriasis | NIHR allocated £858,946.12 for research concerning psoriasis research in 2023-24. | UKRI have committed £300, 266 for psoriasis research for a 3 year period commencing February 2024 . |
Pemphigus | NIHR did not allocate any funds for research concerning pemphigus research during 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for pemphigus research in 2023-24. |
Atopic Dermatitis | NIHR allocated £2,045,996 for research concerning atopic dermatitis research in 2023-24. | UKRI have committed £404,880 for atopic dermatitis research for a 3 year period commencing June 2023. |
Epidermolysis Bullosa | NIHR did not allocate any funds for research concerning epidermolysis bullosa research during 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for epidermolysis bullosa research in 2023-24. |
Hidradenitis Suppurativa | NIHR has not allocated any funds for research concerning hidradenitis suppurativa research during 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for hidradenitis suppurativa research in 2023-24. |
Scleroderma | NIHR allocated £155,575 for research concerning scleroderma research in 2023-24. | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for scleroderma research in 2023-24. |
Rosacea | NIHR did not allocate any funds concerning rosacea research during 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for rosacea research in 2023-24. |
Vitiligo | NIHR did not allocate any funds for research concerning vitiligo research during 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for vitiligo research in 2023-24. |
Basal Cell Carcinoma | NIHR did not allocate any funds concerning basal cell carcinoma research during 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for basal cell carcinoma research in 2023-24. |
Squamous Cell Carcinoma | NIHR allocated £1,467,858 for research concerning squamous cell carcinoma research in 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for squamous cell carcinoma research in 2023-24. |
Melanoma | NIHR allocated £1,167,536 for research concerning melanoma research in 2023-24 | UKRI have committed £176,114 for melanoma research between March 24 and August 25. |
Actinic Keratosis | NIHR did not allocate any funds concerning actinic keratosis research during 2023-24 | UKRI did not commit any specific funding for actinic keratosis research in 2023-24. |