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A Sun Tan Lotion that is not Skin-Deep

by Medindia Content Team on Sep 21 2006 4:57 PM

A two-in-one lotion that serves the basic purpose of a sunscreen lotion as well as offers protection from cancer has kindled the interests of researchers, well on the threshold of a discovery; Scientists have found a method to rectify a key pathway that will prevent the fair skin people from tanning as well as guard the skin against cancer.

Study's lead author, Dr. David E. Fisher, director of the Melanoma Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston said "A small molecule applied to the skin of red-haired, fair-skinned mice essentially rescued the pathway and allowed the mice to darken. The reactivation of that pathway was protective to the mice. What we're learning will hopefully be leading us to new strategies for skin-cancer prevention."

Dr. Seth J. Orlow, chairman of the department of dermatology at New York University Medical Center in New York City, expressing promise, said that it would be sometime before a cream capable of enhancing melanin content in the skin, is conceived. Orlow is still skeptical about the effects of the lotion in preventing cancer, as he believes there is a distinct variation in the skin of mice and humans, the latter’s skin being thinner. It is still very unclear how the medications applied on the skin of humans can penetrate to such depths in order to be effective.



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