Use of fractional CO2 laser decreases the risk of skin cancer development during ultraviolet exposure in hairless mice.
BACKGROUND
Nonmelanoma skin cancers are caused mainly by prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure. There is a growing interest in the prevention of skin cancer and antiaging treatment because of aging of the population. Currently, ablative fractional photothermolysis (FP) laser treatment is actively being performed for facial rejuvenation.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to prove the suppressive effect of CO2 fractional laser (FL) on skin cancer development.


METHODS
Two groups of hairless mice were treated with either CO2 FL or nothing at 3-week intervals during the 20 weeks of UV exposure period. The number of tumors was subsequently counted every 2 weeks over the 30-week period to the termination of the experiment. At 30 weeks, representative tumors were evaluated for tumor type. The authors also determined the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of the matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) and Type 1 procollagen.


RESULTS
At 30 weeks, the UV- and FL-treated group showed a significantly lower tumor occurrence rate and a more benign progression of tumors than the UV-only treated group. The UV- and FL-treated group presented a higher mRNA level of Type 1 procollagen and a lower level of MMP-13 than the UV-only treated group.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of UV-induced skin tumors can be decreased by multiple sessions of ablative FP with CO2 laser.
*Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea; †Department of Dermatology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea; ‡Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.
Jiwon
J
Gye
Sung Ku
SK
Ahn
Ji-Eun
JE
Kwon
Seung-Phil
SP
Hong
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D053685:Laser Therapy; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*