A Potential Cream for Tanning and Cancer Prevention Now Under Development

October 20th, 2006

An experiment on lab mice might one day give you a new product to help you tan while also protecting you from skin cancer — even the deadliest form of skin cancer,  melanoma. Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston recently began testing a cream to darken skin without incurring the risks of sun damage. In about two years, they expect to be prepared to test the tanning/cancer prevention cream on people in clinical trials.

Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the U.S. Each year about 62,000 new cases are diagnosed, and nearly 8,000 die from it. Fair-skinned blondes and redheads are especially susceptible. Their melanin-producing cells (melanocytes) are unable to produce enough protective melanin to tan or protect them from UV sunlight damage. Even dark skinned people can develop melanoma, but they are less likely to do so.

To test the cream, researchers bred a strain of mice incapable of tanning when exposed to UV light. The mice MC1R receptors on their melanocytes were malfunctioning, preventing the production of skin-darkening pigment. When researchers rubbed cream derived from Forskolin, a plant from India, the mice were able to tan. The more cream applied, the darker their skin became.

Tests performed on the mice showed that melanin produced by use of Forskolin cream was a normal response and also could protect cells from DNA damage, reducing their risk of skin cancer.

None of the self-tanning products on the market now are able to protect skin from the damaging effects of UV light. These “tanners” act as dyes on the skin’s surface, but they do not provide any protection. The Forskolin cream activates the tanning pathway at the cellular level.

Researchers estimate that it may take three years or longer to test the product, get FDA approval and place it on the market. If successful, the tanning cream could be a boon for those who want a healthy-looking tan without the risks of developing skin cancer. Time will tell whether this team of researchers can produce the ultimate self-tanner.
 

Source:  Reporter Rob Stein, The Washington Post, October 10, 2006

Entry Filed under: CANCER