Mouse experiment: drug prevents sunburn - Spiegel Online

Burns the sun from the sky, it lights up red in pool: Many unwary swimmers have insufficient or equal not protected and take a walk a sunburn. The nasty surprise experience some only at home in front of the mirror – and then in the form of intense pain in the burned areas

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But that could be past soon: Scientists have found in experiments on human cells and in mice, as the pain is and how damage to the skin – and thus also of common skin cancer from too much radiation – could be prevented. ” / p>

screw is apparently the TRPV4 ion channel in the outer layer of skin, scientists report to Wolfgang Liedtke of the American Duke University in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”. The channel transports positively charged ions such as calcium and sodium in the skin cells. In an experiment with 50 mice, the researchers removed the TRPV4 molecule in some animals by genetic manipulation. Then they put all of the mice with the hind paws on strong UV-B radiation. The result: While not modified animals suffered burns, appeared on the skin of mice lacking TRPV4 channels barely violations by the rays

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In experiments on cells in the laboratory bottomed, the researchers why: According causes UV-B radiation, which is emitted by the sun that calcium flows through the TRPV4 ion channel in the skin cells. This in turn causes increased the molecule endothelin on the plan, the enhanced calcium transport. Endothelin is known in humans elicit pain and itching, as it was experienced a sunburn, the researchers said. For safety, they examined the mechanism of human skin cells in the lab.

ointment prevents damage to the skin

“We have found a new explanation of why sunburn hurts,” said Liedtke. “If we understand sunburn, we can better understand pain.” For what plage sick people every day, the short-term suffering is very similar to sunburn.

The researchers, however, went even further: They developed an ointment to prevent the harmful effects of radiation, even without genetic manipulation. The mixture of disinfectant and the active substance GSK205 which suppresses the activity of the TRPV4 ion channel, have protected hind paws of the mice in a further test, burns and skin damage. In cell cultures, the researchers observed that the substance prevented the transport of calcium ions into the cell.

“The results show TRPV4 as a new target to prevent sunburn and treat,” says Martin Steinhoff from the University of California, who was also involved in the study. In addition, the ointment could not only alleviate the short-term, acute symptoms or even prevent, but may also “chronic skin damage such as skin cancer or skin aging prevent,” said Steinhoff. Too much euphoria but he does not want to pay, “There is still much work needed before TRPV4 inhibitors may be used as part of sunscreens or to treat chronic skin damage.”

UV-B is important for vitamin D synthesis

The occurrence of sunburn and skin cancer is multi-layered: In the past year, a study had shown that so-called microRNA molecules are involved in the inflammatory response. They regulate which proteins are used in a cell. Altered by UV-B radiation, the molecules can according to the study inflammation triggered in neighboring cells and activate mechanisms that are considered to be a tumor promoter.

principle harmful UV-B radiation is, however, not, the body needs to produce vitamin D. Some studies suggest that a deficiency of the vitamin increases the risk of cardiovascular, metabolic and autoimmune diseases, and susceptibility to infections. In too high a dose, however, the skin burns of radiation: the genetic material of the cell is damaged, skin cancer is the possible consequence

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