The University of Kentucky College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
The Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2021 Jul;34(4):777-785. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.12969. Epub 2021 Mar 12.
Skin complexion is among the most recognizable phenotypes between individuals and is mainly determined by the amount and type of melanin pigment deposited in the epidermis. Persons with dark skin complexion have more of a brown/black pigment known as eumelanin in their epidermis whereas those with fair skin complexions have less. Epidermal eumelanin acts as a natural sunblock by preventing incoming UV photons from penetrating into the skin and therefore protects against UV mutagenesis. By understanding the signaling pathways and regulation of pigmentation, strategies can be developed to manipulate skin pigmentation to improve UV resistance and to diminish skin cancer risk.
肤色是个体之间最容易识别的表型之一，主要由表皮中沉积的黑色素的数量和类型决定。肤色较深的人表皮中含有较多的棕色/黑色色素，称为真黑素，而肤色较浅的人则较少。表皮中的真黑素充当天然的防晒剂，防止入射的 UV 光子穿透皮肤，从而防止 UV 致突变。通过了解色素沉着的信号通路和调节，我们可以制定策略来操纵皮肤色素沉着，以提高对 UV 的抵抗力和降低皮肤癌的风险。
