title: Melanins and melanogenesis: from pigment cells to human health and technological applications.
abstract: During the past decade, melanins and melanogenesis have attracted growing interest for a broad range of biomedical and technological applications. The burst of polydopamine-based multifunctional coatings in materials science is just one example, and the list may be expanded to include melanin thin films for organic electronics and bioelectronics, drug delivery systems, functional nanoparticles and biointerfaces, sunscreens, environmental remediation devices. Despite considerable advances, applied research on melanins and melanogenesis is still far from being mature. A closer intersectoral interaction between research centers is essential to raise the interests and increase the awareness of the biomedical, biomaterials science and hi-tech sectors of the manifold opportunities offered by pigment cells and related metabolic pathways. Starting from a survey of biological roles and functions, the present review aims at providing an interdisciplinary perspective of melanin pigments and related pathway with a view to showing how it is possible to translate current knowledge about physical and chemical properties and control mechanisms into new bioinspired solutions for biomedical, dermocosmetic, and technological applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: d'Ischia
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakamatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicoira
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Physics, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Mauro
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, IMIB-Arrixaca, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Josè Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Garcia-Borron
authors.affiliation: L'Oréal Recherche & Innovation, Aulnay sous Bois, France.
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Commo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Ismael
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Galván
authors.affiliation: LOCE, Institut J. Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ghanem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.affiliation: Development Research - Hair Care Products, KAO Corporation, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koike
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kenzo
authors.affiliation: Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics, School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meredith
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzella
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Physics, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santato
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sarna
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Technologies - National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zecca
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Technologies - National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Zucca
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Shosuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D001709:Biotechnology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D049830:Cephalopoda; D003358:Cosmetics; D004581:Electronics; D005127:Eye Color; D005399:Fishes; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D020460:Melanosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010858:Pigmentation; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003358:Cosmetics; D008543:Melanins
keywords: antioxidants; bioelectronics; dermocosmetic applications; extracutaneous melanins; melanogenesis control; melanosomes; polydopamine