Link: Researchers find suntan's 'master regulator'.
Researchers find suntan's 'master regulator'
12.03.2007
A gene known to prevent cancer also acts as a master regulator of the suntan response, researchers report in the March 9, 2007 issue of Cell, published by Cell Press.
The team discovered in studies of mice and human skin that p53, a gene best known for keeping tumors at bay, is ultimately responsible for activating the tanning machinery that darkens the skin of so many sun-seeking beachgoers, thereby protecting them from sunburns.
(...)
By the same token, a more complete understanding of the suntan process could lead to products that can produce a tan safely without exposure to potentially damaging UV radiation—even in those people who otherwise don’t tan. Fisher said he is involved in a small biotechnology company that is working to develop such a product.
