Sunlight, DNA Damage and Skin Cancer: A New Perspective

DNA, sunlight and skin cancer

Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor genes in the most common types of skin cancer occur almost exclusively at dipyrimidine sites and are highly characteristic of UVB light. The UVB in sunlight produces cis-syn dimers and (6-4) products at dipyrimidine sites, the latter of which are isomerized by UVA/B light to their Dewar valence isomers. Which of these photoproduct classes is primarily respo...

Sunlight and skin cancer

It is well known that chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation present in sunlight is responsible for the induction of most nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in humans. Wavelengths in the UV-B (290–320 nm) region of the solar spectrum are absorbed into the skin, producing erythema, burns,and eventually skin cancer.NMSC is themost common type of human cancer. Recent surveys indicate that arou...

Nutritional protection against skin damage from sunlight.

The concept of systemic photoprotection by dietary means is gaining momentum. Skin is continuously exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the major cause of skin disorders such as sunburn, photodamage, and nonmelanoma skin cancer. Most of the erythemal annual UV dose is encountered under nonvacation conditions, when no sunscreen is applied. In the absence of topically added compounds, skin prot...

OSH Answers: Skin Cancer and Sunlight

Sunlight exposure-mediated DNA damage in young adults.

BACKGROUND Previous experimental studies showed that single ultraviolet B (UVB) light irradiation increased levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a well-established biomarker of carcinogenesis and oxidative DNA damage, in epithelial cells in animals and humans. We conducted for the first time an epidemiologic study to investigate the correlations among levels of oxidative DNA damage, ...