Regulation of human skin pigmentation and responses to ultraviolet radiation.
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.
Miyamura
Yoshinori
Y
Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Coelho
Sergio G
SG
Wolber
Rainer
R
Miller
Sharon A
SA
Wakamatsu
Kazumasa
K
Zmudzka
Barbara Z
BZ
Ito
Shosuke
S
Smuda
Christoph
C
Passeron
Thierry
T
Choi
Wonseon
W
Batzer
Jan
J
Yamaguchi
Yuji
Y
Beer
Janusz Z
JZ
Hearing
Vincent J
VJ
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