Melanin is both photosensitizer and photoprotector. Skin cancer rates decrease with
increasing constitutive pigmentation, yet the pigment has been shown to be photoreactive …

Cloudman S91 mouse melanoma cells vary in constitutive and inducible melanin levels.
Survival, mutation induction and DNA damage were quantitated after exposure to UVB, UVA …

When melanin absorbs light energy, it can produce potentially damaging active oxygen
species. There is little doubt that constitutive pigment in dark-skinned individuals is …

Melanin protects the skin against DNA damage induced by direct absorption of sunlight's UV
radiation. Yet, irradiating melanin in vitro or in cultured cells also generates active oxygen …

Melanin is thought to serve in photoprotection. To investigate this, we have compared the
responses of cultured human melanocytes derived from different pigmentary phenotypes …

Malignant melanoma arises from epidermal melanocytes, the cells responsible for the
production of the skin pigment melanin. The photoprotective role of melanin, which is …

The question of whether melanins are photoprotecting and/or photosensitizing in human
skin cells continues to be debated. To evaluate the role of melanin upon UVA irradiation …

Pigmentation of human skin is closely involved in protection against environmental stresses,
in particular exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is well known that darker skin is …

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a major environmental factor that dramatically alters the
homeostasis of the skin as an organ by affecting the survival, proliferation and differentiation …

Highly pigmented, dark skin is more resistant to the harmful effects of solar ultraviolet
radiation than light-colored human skin. The extent to which tanning protects skin from …