Abstract
Skin complexion is among the most recognizable phenotypes between individuals and is mainly determined by the amount and type of melanin pigment deposited in the epidermis. Persons with dark skin complexion have more of a brown/black pigment known as eumelanin in their epidermis whereas those with fair skin complexions have less. Epidermal eumelanin acts as a natural sunblock by preventing incoming UV photons from penetrating into the skin and therefore protects against UV mutagenesis. By understanding the signaling pathways and regulation of pigmentation, strategies can be developed to manipulate skin pigmentation to improve UV resistance and to diminish skin cancer risk.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 777-785 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the following NIH grants: R01CA131075, P30CA177558, and P30ES026529. We thank the Markey Cancer Foundation, the Melanoma Research Alliance, and the DanceBlue Golden Matrix Fund for their support. This manuscript's contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Keywords
- cAMP
- melanin
- melanocortin 1 receptor
- melanocyte
- pigmentation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (all)
- Oncology
- Dermatology
