May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month in the US, and it’s likely that the associated awareness campaign has come not a moment too soon. A recent study confirmed that non-melanoma skin cancer has reached epidemic levels in the US, with an estimated 300 percent increase in the number of skin cancers over the past decade and a half.
Scientists have announced a new method for creating a bio-based sunscreen active ingredient from refined soybean oil at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
The team, led by Dr Joseph Laszlo, has developed technology for converting soybean oil into an active ingredient for sunscreen products. It involves incorporating ferulic acid, found naturally in hundreds of plants, into soybean oil. The combination of ferulic acid and vegetable oil produces a water-resistant material capable of absorbing both UVA (320-400nm) and UVB (280-320nm) light. Both UVA and UVB play a role in causing skin cancer, while UVB is the direct cause of sunburn.
A US School of Public Health study published last week revealed that African Americans are largely ignoring sun safety messages, despite research showing that African Americans were more likely to die from melanoma, compared to fair skinned Americans.
The study, of 2187 African Americans living in California aged 18-95, revealed that only about 31% of those surveyed always engaged in sun-protective behavior, while 62.7% never wear sunscreen.
As global knowledge of how human skin interacts with light increases, there has been a greater focus on the biochemical processes that occur in the human body following exposure to light, in particular the creation of a necessary vitamin: vitamin D
The vitamin D debate is complex and contentious, especially whether intentionally increasing UV exposure delivers health benefits that outweigh the known increased risk of skin cancer, and likely melanoma associated with heightened UV exposure.
A new study to come out of the US National Institute of Health has linked the increasing rates of melanoma diagnosis in young women to an increased exposure to artificial UVA. In a review published in Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research this month, the authors draw on National Cancer Institute melanoma prevalence research to suggest a causative link between melanoma incidence in young women and the rates of UVA tanning device usage in the USA.
In our final post on sunscreen, we will discuss the proper advice and application of sunscreen to achieve optimal protection from UV radiation.
A recently published study found that, even with detailed guidance and individual instruction, trial participants still applied less than half the amount of sunscreen recommended. Participants who were instructed only by the product packaging used slightly more than a third of the required amount. This is an important gap in public knowledge, as SPF ratings are based on tests carried out with the recommended amounts of sunscreen.
As part of a new series of updates on technology, and to complement on Clinuvel’s public news flow, Clinuvel is initiating a regular bulletin to provide its followers worldwide with the latest advances on relevant issues, such as environmental factors, skin and related biochemical issues.
These discussions aim to increase the understanding of the science and technology behind Clinuvel. Where the depth of information becomes too profound an attempt shall be made to summarise in easier terms. Basic take-aways will provide clarification throughout each bulletin.
The first issue, available here, discusses in detail the physiological “UV tanning response” and touches on the development of afamelanotide in relation to an evolving understanding of both the peptide itself and the physiology of UV and sun damage to skin and DNA.
Sun Protection Factors (SPF) are arrived at by testing in laboratory conditions. Volunteers have their skin exposed to artificial UV radiation until they experience burn and the amount of radiation they receive is measured. The volunteer then has the sunscreen applied to their skin, is again exposed to artificial UV radiation and the amount of radiation required to achieve the same damage is measured. The SPF rating is ascertained by dividing the amount of radiation required to burn with sunscreen, by the amount required to burn without.
This is the first in a four part series discussing some of the issues and concepts around sunscreen. As the southern hemisphere is midway through summer, it’s important to understand proper use of sunscreen, and some of the terminology around it.
While Sunsmart and skin cancer organisations internationally are working hard to educate people about sun safe behaviour and the dangers of UV radiation, detailed understanding and knowledge is still lacking. This is likely having an impact on the effectiveness of the sun safe behaviour that so many are working to instill.
As we have discussed previously in our recent ‘Brief overview of cancer‘ post, the immune system is an important part of the body’s natural defence against cancer. The human immune system works to protect against dangerous, damaged and damaging elements introduced or occurring naturally in the human body. An example of this is the targeted destruction/instigation of cell death (apoptosis) of skin cells (keratinocytes/melanocytes) that have been damaged by UV radiation. People with compromised immune systems are known to have a significantly increased risk of skin cancer in particular for a number of reasons.
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