Melanin News and Research

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In humans, melanin is the primary determinant of skin color. It is also found in hair, the pigmented tissue underlying the iris of the eye, and the stria vascularis of the inner ear. In the brain, tissues with melanin include the medulla and zona reticularis of the adrenal gland, and pigment-bearing neurons within areas of the brainstem, such as the locus coeruleus and the substantia nigr

Study: Black older Americans have much better hearing than their White counterparts

Black Americans 65 years and older have much better hearing than their White counterparts, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.

24 Nov 2021

Researchers uncover new genetic link to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the accumulation of fat in the liver unrelated to alcohol abuse or other liver diseases. It is often associated with obesity and diabetes and is considered a manifestation of metabolic syndrome.

10 Nov 2021

New noninvasive technology may aid in real-time blood measurements

Bioengineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Arlington, in collaboration with Austin's Shani Biotechnologies, LLC, have developed a new noninvasive technology that may help real-time monitoring of key blood parameters, such as hemoglobin, especially in Black patients.

29 Oct 2021

A new approach to selectively turn on gene therapies in target cells

Researchers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a way to selectively turn on gene therapies in target cells, including human cells.

28 Oct 2021

Novel technique enables 3D visualization of cells containing melanin pigment

To understand the biological underpinnings of skin and hair pigmentation and related diseases such as albinism or melanoma, scientists and doctors need quantitative, three-dimensional information about the architecture, content and location of pigment cells. Penn State College of Medicine researchers have developed a new technique that allows scientists to visualize every cell containing melanin pigment in 3D, in whole zebrafish.

6 Oct 2021

Direct-to-consumer machine learning model incorrectly classifies rare, aggressive skin cancers

A new study has found that a direct-to-consumer machine learning model for detecting skin cancers incorrectly classified rare and aggressive cancers as low-risk.

30 Sep 2021

Novel cold-tolerant bacterium produces a red bio-pigment with germ-killing properties

A team of researchers from Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh, India have discovered a psychrophilic bacterial strain, called Rhodonellum psychrophilum GL8, at the high altitude Pangong Tso Lake in the Himalayas.

12 Jul 2021

Skin pigmentation mechanism confers major protection against UV-related cancers

A skin pigmentation mechanism that can darken the color of human skin as a natural defense against ultraviolet (UV)-associated cancers has been discovered by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

7 Jul 2021

Researchers trace gecko’s skin tumors to a gene implicated in deadly cancer

The leopard gecko's name was Mr. Frosty, and he was hard to miss. Yellow bands striped his back, and uncommonly white skin peeked out from speckles on his head and tail.

25 Jun 2021

Nanoscale coordination polymers show promise for efficient dopamine delivery in Parkinson's treatment

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in a part of the brain (known as substantia nigra pars compacta), which leads to a deficit of dopamine (DA), one of the main neurotransmitters active in the central nervous system.

1 Jun 2021

Study shows how biases could be perpetuated by AI devices

Clinicians and surgeons are increasingly using medical devices based on artificial intelligence. These AI devices, which rely on data-driven algorithms to inform health care decisions, presently aid in diagnosing cancers, heart conditions and diseases of the eye, with many more applications on the way.

18 May 2021

Study indicates an amyloid link between melanoma and Parkinson’s disease

On the surface, Parkinson's disease -; a neurodegenerative disorder -; and melanoma -; a type of skin cancer -; do not appear to have much in common.

7 Apr 2021

Research provides insights on why redheads exhibit altered sensitivity to pain

New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital provides insights on why people with red hair exhibit altered sensitivity to certain kinds of pain. The findings are published in Science Advances.

2 Apr 2021

New system facilitates real-time imaging of biological, pathological processes

Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, have developed a novel far-red light-emitting luciferin-luciferase system that is more efficient than those available commercially. An article on the subject is published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

30 Mar 2021

Researchers show how optoacoustics can be used for monitoring skin water content

Researchers from Skoltech and the University of Texas Medical Branch (US) have shown how optoacoustics can be used for monitoring skin water content, a technique which is promising for medical applications such as tissue trauma management and in cosmetology.

16 Jan 2021

Could Vitamin D be an effective adjuvant to help mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, there is a dire need for effective and safe therapeutics and vaccines. Overall, the pandemic has infected more than 90.87 million people and taken more 1.94 million lives.

12 Jan 2021

Black women find healing (but sometimes racism, too) in the outdoors

It would be the last hike of the season, Jessica Newton had excitedly posted on her social media platforms.

6 Jan 2021

Skin cancer risk remains high in winter months for college students

New research from Brigham Young University finds college students could be just as at risk for developing skin cancer in the dead of winter as they are in the middle of summer.

17 Dec 2020

Mothers' vitamin D levels during pregnancy positively associated with their children's IQ

Vitamin D is a critical nutrient and has many important functions in the body. A mother's vitamin D supply is passed to her baby in utero and helps regulate processes including brain development.

2 Nov 2020

DNase coated melanin-like nanospheres for sepsis treatment in severe COVID

As the treatment of severe COVID-19 is very difficult, the researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Biosciences and Biotechnology (KRIBB) suggested that DNase-1 can be utilized to dissolve the neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), hence halting the further progression of COVID-19.

27 Oct 2020