title: Regulation of human skin pigmentation and responses to ultraviolet radiation.
abstract: Pigmentation of human skin is closely involved in protection against environmental stresses, in particular exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is well known that darker skin is significantly more resistant to the damaging effects of UV, such as photocarcinogenesis and photoaging, than is lighter skin. Constitutive skin pigmentation depends on the amount of melanin and its distribution in that tissue. Melanin is significantly photoprotective and epidermal cells in darker skin incur less DNA damage than do those in lighter skin. This review summarizes current understanding of the regulation of constitutive human skin pigmentation and responses to UV radiation, with emphasis on physiological factors that influence those processes. Further research is needed to characterize the role of skin pigmentation to reduce photocarcinogenesis and to develop effective strategies to minimize such risks.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamura
authors.forename: Sergio G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wolber
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakamatsu
authors.forename: Barbara Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Zmudzka
authors.forename: Shosuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smuda
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Passeron
authors.forename: Wonseon
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Batzer
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Janusz Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Vincent J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Hearing
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects; D011835:Radiation Protection; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays