Although it is virtually impossible to predict the future direction and format of the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR), we believe it is important to gaze into the crystal ball. As current, past, and future Presidents of the Society, we bring different perspectives to this short commentary. All other contributions to this special ESDR 50th Anniversary issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (JID) are based on facts, whereas our views are, in part, dictated by current trends and their extrapolation over the next 25–50 years.
At the time of writing this article, the world is in the grip of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Hysteria is rife, world stock markets are tumbling, and international travel is curtailed with the cancellation of impending international dermatology meetings such as that of the Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology in March. Despite all this, we believe that responsible, carbon-friendly international travel will still be a part of the ESDR’s raison d’être. The value of face-to-face social interactions at conferences such as our annual meeting should not be underestimated. After all, we humans are gregarious and social species. Many contributors to this JID celebratory issue have remarked on the importance of social events at the annual meeting for developing collegiality and cementing research collaborations, which can only occur over dinners, networking events, and in the conference halls. However, high quality videoconferencing and perhaps new technologies will proliferate, enabling real-time discussion for researchers and for educational events particularly as international, big team science becomes the norm.
The science will change. The speed and nature of scientific advances are, of course, incalculable, but on the basis of what has happened over the past decade, we predict the following will determine translational research. Systems medicine and systems biology, allied to big data and integrated multiomic platforms, will allow assessment of physiological and pathological mechanisms at the level of the individual. Stratified medicine will increasingly focus on the prevention of disease and will play a key role in the paradigm of skin wellness, as espoused by the Skin Science Foundation detailed elsewhere in this issue. Therapies for skin disease will be targeted ever more closely to mechanisms and pathways and used much earlier in the course of the disease to effect cure or remission and the prevention of sequelae. This approach is dependent on crossdisciplinary working, perhaps doing away with the traditional “ologies” (dermatology included) with the introduction of molecular taxonomy of many diseases at the expense of the more old-fashioned reliance on the clinical appearance of a rash or a lesion. Naturally, the ineffable role of serendipity will continue to dictate and accelerate change as has been shown time and again in dermatology; the use of methotrexate and infliximab for psoriasis and the role of propranolol in the management of vascular nevi in children are several such examples. The current and welcome trend of translating basic science observations into clinical practice will accelerate, much to the benefit of patients.
The first half-century of the ESDR has witnessed the development of dermatology research in Europe. As an organization with global responsibilities—the establishment of the International Societies for Investigative Dermatology (also discussed in this supplement to the JID) is testament to this—it is important to recognize our role in supporting skin biologists and clinicians in less developed countries outside of Europe. This objective can be accomplished by offering training opportunities—a case in point is the great success of the 2019 competitive international fellowship scheme that enabled dermatologists in training (from Myanmar, Kenya, and Ethiopia) to attend their first international meeting—the 49th meeting of the ESDR in Bordeaux, France. The ESDR has a responsibility to use its expertise to enhance skin research in less developed countries and to understand and address the global burden of skin diseases by international collaboration.
It is impossible to know what is yet to be discovered, but we do know that through our investment in and support of the next generation of high caliber, dedicated dermatology researchers through our Future Leaders Academy and Leadership Training, the future of the Society and that of dermatology research in Europe is safe. Without a doubt, there will be a significant global investment in the understanding of the mechanisms that drive aging and associated frailty; skin research is well placed to lead the way in this regard. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are very much in vogue, at present often producing alarm among clinicians. We believe that AI will enhance clinical care by taking the uncertainty out of diagnosis, and machine learning will enhance and enable a stratified approach to care. One thing is certain—the ESDR will continue into old age, celebrating its 75th and 100th anniversaries very much at the heart of a dynamic, glittering community of interdisciplinary science aimed at improving the lives of millions of people with skin disease. The future is bright.
Orcids
Christopher E.M. Griffiths: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5371-4427
Márta Széll: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0730-714X
David P. Kelsell: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9910-7144
Conflict of Interest
The authors state no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
This article is published as part of a supplement sponsored by the European Society for Dermatological Research.
CEMG is funded in part by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.