A cautious sun exposure has benefits for our body, since it provides vitamin D and improves our mood, but when the time of solar radiation is extended, annoying burns appear on our skin that are susceptible to cause skin cancer or premature aging of the epidermis. The burns redden the affected area and produce a stinging that we usually alleviate with protective creams or gels.
Now, thanks to a study presented by a team of scientists from Duke University (USA), we can get closer to the treatment that will put an end to the pain and redness of sunburn. The authors of the research published in the online edition of the medical journal “Proceedings” have discovered the molecule responsible for the painful sensation we experience after sunburn and the reddish color our skin acquires.
Thanks to the identification of this molecule, called TRPV4 and abundantly present in the most superficial layer of the epidermis, the scientists have been able to explain why sunburn damages our skin and, above all, how to block the TRPV4 molecule to put an end to its harmful effects, including skin cancer or chronic sun damage.
The possible dermatological remedy
To this end, the project leaders have developed a pharmaceutical compound that selectively inhibits the molecule – a kind of disinfectant composed of alcohol and glycerol – which has so far been tested on mice and human skin samples. One of the authors of the research, Martin Steinhoff, explained that he is confident in the potency of TRPV4 inhibitors to create products that help us defend ourselves from the sun, in order to treat sunburn and chronic sun damage.
The study opens up new possibilities for treating sunburn and other more serious sun damage, but what other factors are involved in the sun’s rays coming into contact with our skin?