Recipient organisationNIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre
NIHR supportRecorded as supported by this research centre
PeriodJan 2025 — Oct 2025
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
For people with photosensitivity, as little as five to ten minutes of sunlight can trigger intense itching, swelling, and pain. This matters because there are no effective approved treatments for these conditions. Patients must rely on strict sun avoidance, which severely limits outdoor activities, family life, mental health, and employment. The underlying biology is poorly understood—the relationship between sunlight exposure and symptoms is complex and likely depends on factors such as individual behaviour and patterns of time outdoors. Researchers at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust will compare skin and blood responses to simulated sunlight in photosensitive patients, healthy controls, and people with other sunlight-affected skin conditions. They will also track patients’ real-world daylight exposure—time outdoors, clothing, sunscreen use—across seasons and link this to symptom flare-ups. If successful, this work could reveal the immune mechanisms driving photosensitivity and identify behavioural patterns that trigger symptoms. That knowledge could inform better prevention strategies and management advice, potentially reducing the need for total sun avoidance and improving quality of life for people living with these painful, disruptive conditions.
View original technical description
People with photosensitivity have abnormal skin reactions to small amounts of sunlight, which may include intense itching, swelling, redness and pain. In some conditions, symptoms appear after only 5-10 minutes of exposure. Due to a lack of effective approved treatments, people with photosensitivity must rely on strict sunlight protection measures and sunlight avoidance which has a huge negative impact on outdoor activities, family life, mental health and employment. Many photosensitivity disorders are thought to be caused by aberrant immune responses but there is little understanding of the mechanisms. The relationship between sunlight exposure and photosensitivity symptoms is not simple and may depend on a range of factors including patterns of sunlight exposure behaviour. To better understand the biological mechanisms involved in photosensitivity, we will undertake a research study involving skin and blood sampling procedures to compare responses to simulated sunlight in patients with photosensitivity and non-photosensitive individuals, including those without skin conditions and patients with skin conditions that may be improved or aggrevated by sunlight). We will also study patterns of daylight exposure behaviour of photosensitive patients (e.g. time outdoors, clothing worn, use of sunscreen) in different seasons of the year and relate these to occurrence of photosensitivity symptoms to inform prevention and management. This study is being funded by the National Institute for Health Research and will be undertaken in the Photobiology Unit, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.
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