New “real sun tan” drug could help protect from UV damage, skin cancer
Scientists have created a new drug that tricks the skin into creating the brown form of the pigment melanin to make the skin tan, without the damaging effects of UV radiation. The team at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US hopes their discovery could prevent skin cancer and even slow the appearance of aging.
UV light makes the skin tan by causing damage, which kicks off a chain of chemical reactions in the skin that ultimately leads to dark melanin – the body’s natural sunblock – being made.
The drug developed by the scientists is rubbed onto the skin to skip the damage and kick-start the process of making melanin.
Dr. David Fisher, one of the researchers, said the drug has a potent darkening effect.The drug, he said, is really activating the skin’s production of real melanin without the need for UV light.
It is a markedly different approach to fake tan, which “paints” the skin without the protection from sun beds, which expose the skin to UV light or pills that claim to boost melanin production but still need UV light.
But the team is not motivated by making a new cosmetic.Dr. Fisher said the lack of progress in skin cancer – the most common type of cancer – was a “very significant frustration”.
He added: “Our real goal is a novel strategy for protecting skin from UV radiation and cancer.
“Dark pigment is associated with a lower risk of all forms of skin cancer – that would be really huge.”
Tests, detailed in the journal Cell Reports, have shown the melanin produced by the drug was able to block harmful UV rays.
Eventually the scientists want to combine their drug with sun-cream to give maximum protection from solar radiation.
Dr. Fisher said everyone should “absolutely” use sun-cream but its weakness was it “keeps you pale”.
The way the drug works could also allow a redhead to have tanned skin, as the genetic mutation that causes red hair and fair skin disrupts the normal process where UV light leads to dark melanin.
It is not yet clear if the drug might have the unintended consequence of affecting the glorious hair color, but it is thought the hair follicle is too deep in the skin for the drug to reach.
The drug is still not ready for commercial use as the researchers want to do more safety testing, although so far there has been “no hint of problems”.
Matthew Gass, from the British Association of Dermatologists, said the study was a “novel approach” to preventing skin cancer.He added: “A lot more research has to be done before we see this sort of technology being used on humans, however, it’s certainly an interesting proposition.
“Skin cancer rates in the UK are going through the roof… any research into ways that we can prevent people from developing skin cancer in the first place is to be welcomed.”
Stopping UV damage could have an extra boon beyond cancer – slowing the appearance of aging.
According to Dr. Fisher, many people would agree that the most obvious and most dramatic sign of aging is the skin’s appearance and UV damage over the years. Medically this is very difficult to focus on, he said, but if the new drug is proven to be safe, then it could be a way to keep the skin healthier for longer.
