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

Researchers track in real-time how melanoma cells move to form tumors

There's a reason why melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, is so aggressive. You just need to watch the cells in action.

3 Apr 2017

Study reveals link between tanning dependence and other addictive behaviors

Despite the known dangers of exposure to ultraviolet light, many people continue to sunbathe and use indoor tanning beds with some users exhibiting a dependence to tanning. A new study from the Yale School of Public Health finds that such dependence is also associated with other addictive behaviors.

21 Mar 2017

Research may offer brand-new tool for early diagnosis for lethal melanomas

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, with over 232,000 new cases and 55,000 deaths per year worldwide.

1 Mar 2017

Study highlights urgent need for sunburn prevention among young adults with melanin-rich skin

Results from a study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association point to an urgent need for sunburn prevention among young adults, particularly those who have skin with higher melanin content.

28 Feb 2017

Dermatologist recommends monthly self-exams to catch melanoma early

Skin cancer can affect anyone at any time, but if you're a man, your risks are greater of developing melanoma skin cancer.

8 Feb 2017

Researchers investigate influence of surrounding tissue on formation and growth of tumor cells

Malignant melanoma is the fastest-growing type of cancer and the most fatal skin disease.

23 Jan 2017

Japanese scientists capture live distribution of melanin inside the skin

With a little help from chickens and video cameras, scientists have captured live the moment when skin gets darker.

8 Dec 2016

New, low-cost device measures early stages of infant malnutrition

Babies worldwide could benefit from a low-cost device designed by University of Sydney researchers to measures early stages of infant malnutrition.

2 Nov 2016

Could a light-listening photonics device detect skin disease? An interview with Prof. Vasilis Ntziachristos

Detection of malignant skin alterations is currently aided by optical microscopes such as dermoscopes or optical microscopes. While the latter offers high resolution, it comes with a major disadvantage, just like any other purely microscopic method: it only provides a partial view of the skin due to the low penetration depth.

29 Aug 2016

Researchers identify genetic causes underlying higher rate of melanoma in men

A study led by researchers at Universitat Jaume I de Castellón has identified one of the genetic causes underlying the higher rate of melanoma in men. The results have been published in Biology of Sex Differences.

21 Jul 2016

Researcher aims to make early detection of melanoma faster, cheaper without need for biopsy

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that becomes dangerous when it spreads, but is treatable in its early stages. Doctors diagnose melanoma by cutting away a piece of a suspicious skin lesion -- a procedure known as a biopsy -- and testing it for malignant cells.

14 Jul 2016

Obese individuals may be more sensitive to overeating when presented with food cues

Obese mice are much more likely than lean mice to overeat in the presence of environmental cues, a behavior that could be related to changes in the brain, finds a new study by a Michigan State University neuroscientist.

12 Jul 2016

Gene dysregulation makes immune therapies less effective against metastatic melanoma

Patients who don't respond to treatments that use their own immune cells to destroy tumors, called tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, share changes in mechanisms that switch genes on or off in those cells, according to study results presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology on June 4 in Chicago.

6 Jun 2016

Researchers prove existence of olfactory receptor in pigment-producing skin cells

Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum were the first ones to prove the existence of an olfactory receptor in pigment-producing cells in human skin, the so-called melanocytes. The team headed by Prof Dr Dr Dr habil. Hanns Hatt demonstrated that the violet-like scent Beta-Ionone can activate the receptor.

4 Jun 2016

Researchers develop new drugs for melanoma

Finding new, more effective and personalised treatments for cancer is the challenge of many researchers. A challenge that has been successfully met by a team from Inserm led by Stéphane Rocchi, which has just synthesised and developed new drugs for melanoma.

28 May 2016

Study finds that TPC2 protein regulates melanin production

A year and a half ago, researchers at Brown University found a molecular gas pedal for melanin production. Now they've found a brake. For scientists, the finding deepens not only the basic understanding of how eyes, skin and hair gain color, but also what perhaps can be done in disorders, such as albinism, when that doesn't happen.

27 May 2016

Derivatives of female sex hormones can influence natural melanin production, study suggests

When skin cells responsible for pigmentation are exposed to estrogen or progesterone, the cells respond by adjusting their melanin production, resulting in either skin darkening or lightening. Although pregnant women often experience alterations in skin pigmentation, the reason for the changes has long puzzled physicians.

27 Apr 2016

Study shows association between traffic-related air pollution and dark spots on the skin

A largescale study that included women from Germany and China has demonstrated a link between levels of traffic-related air pollution and air pollution-associated gases with the formation of dark spots on the skin, known as lentigenes. The most pronounced changes were observed on the cheeks of Asian women over the age of 50.

8 Feb 2016

SunSense UK’s nationwide tour highlights the dangers of intentional tanning

Sunscreen brand, SunSense, has this week completed a nationwide tour of the UK with the aim of encouraging the public to think twice about tanning.

15 Sep 2015

Penn researchers identify major genetic factor that keeps moles in non-cancerous, no-growth state

Moles are benign tumors found on the skin of almost every adult. Scientists have known for years that a mutation in the BRAF gene makes them start growing, but until now haven't understood why they stop. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a major genetic factor that keeps moles in their usual non-cancerous, no-growth state.

6 Aug 2015