Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Want a Glowing Tan? Head to the Lab!

Everyone wants to look tanned for the summer but we’re all afraid of harmful UV rays. Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in North America so we do our best to prevent it by lathering on the sunscreen and staying out of the sun but this leaves us pale and pasty during shorts and T-shirt season! What are we to do?? Yes, there are spray tans and moisturizers that gradually tan your skin but most of these products make your skin look more orange than a nice bronze color and they can stain your sheets and clothes.

What if you could have a bronze glow without the damaging effects of UV rays or dyeing your skin? Well thanks to Dr. David E. Fisher and his team of scientists, you may be able to in the near future! They found that inhibiting enzymes called SIKs (salt-inducible kinases) activated the pigmentation pathway in the same way as UV radiation would but without the DNA-damaging effects. They went on to develop a superior version of this inhibitor so that it can be better absorbed by human skin. It takes 1-2 days for the skin to “tan” and it lasts a few days.

In the future, the team will be conducting toxicity studies, and then they hope to move onto clinical trials. Ultimately, they strive to develop a compound that can be added to sunscreenJ
and be used regularly; tanning and skin protection all in one! If it turns out to be safe I’m definitely going to try it


-        Mena

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