Journal
BIOESSAYS
Volume 35, Issue 8, Pages 672-676Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/bies.201300020
Keywords
melanoma; pheomelanin; pigmentation; reactive oxygen species
Categories
Funding
- NIAMS NIH HHS [R01 AR043369] Funding Source: Medline
- NIGMS NIH HHS [T32 GM007753] Funding Source: Medline
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Recently, we reported that melanoma risk in redheads is linked not only to pale skin, but also to the synthesis of the pigment - called pheomelanin - that gives red hair its color. We demonstrated that pheomelanin synthesis is associated with increased oxidative stress in the skin, yet we have not uncovered the chemical pathway between the molecule pheomelanin and the DNA damage that drives melanoma formation. Here, we hypothesize two possible pathways. On one hand, pheomelanin might generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that directly or indirectly cause oxidative DNA damage. On the other hand, pheomelanin synthesis might consume cellular antioxidant stores and make the cell nucleus more vulnerable to other endogenous ROS. Uncovering the mechanistic pathway between pheomelanin and oxidative DNA damage will be an important step in developing strategies to lower melanoma risk in redheads.
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