New drug tans without the sun’s damaging effects
Researchers may have discovered a new drug that tans without exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, reducing the risks of skin cancer
A new topical drug can darken human skin naturally and safely without the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation, according to a study published in Cell Reports.
Developed by a team of researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the drug triggers the production of the dark form of melanin, a skin pigment, when topically applied. By absorbsing ultraviolet radiation, the drug also protects against skin cancer. “Skin cancer is one of the few cancers for which we have rock solid evidence of its cause — UV radiation,” said study author, cancer researcher and chairman of the department of dermatology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr. David Fisher to Statnews. He explained that dark pigmented skin was proven to have a protective advantage against UV radiation and dramatically lowered the risk of skin cancer.
Though the drug has only been tested on mice and dead human skin, researchers are confident the discovery can enhance cancer prevention, particularly for those with lighter skin. Fisher, however, emphasised that the new drug would not replace sunscreen as a UV blocking agent but be used alongside it for additional protection.
“We need to learn how safe this drug is before we can put it in an application and make sure it’s not doing something totally unexpected,” said Fisher. “But if we’re lucky enough to see that toxicity is truly minimal, the hope would be that people would stop using tanning beds and lying in the sun for hours without sunscreen. Anything that dissuades people from exposing themselves to UV radiation would almost certainly lower the risk of skin cancer.”
This story was originally published in the Global Health and Travel issue of October 2017
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