The
painful, red skin that comes from too much time in the sun is caused by
a molecule abundant in the skin’s epidermis, a new study shows.
Blocking this molecule, called TRPV4,
greatly protects against the painful effects of sunburn. The results
were published the week of Aug. 5 in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Early Edition online. The research, which was
conducted in mouse models and human skin samples, could yield a way to
combat sunburn and possibly several other causes of pain.
“We have uncovered a novel explanation
for why sunburn hurts,” said Wolfgang Liedtke, M.D., Ph.D., one of the
senior authors of the study and associate professor of neurology and
neurobiology at Duke University School of Medicine. “If we understand
sunburn better, we can understand pain better because what plagues my
patients day in and day out is what temporarily affects otherwise
healthy people who suffer from sunburn.”
The vast majority of sunburns are caused
by ultraviolet B or UVB radiation. In moderation, this component of
sunlight does the body good, giving a daily dose of vitamin D and
perhaps improving mood. But if people get too much, it can damage the
DNA in their skin cells and increase their susceptibility to cancer.
Sunburns are nature’s way of telling people to go inside and avoid
further damage.
Liedtke worked together with a
multi-institutional team of researchers: Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., a
professor at Rockefeller University and an investigator with the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute and skin biologist; and Martin Steinhoff, M.D.,
Ph.D., professor of dermatology and surgery at the University of
California in San Francisco who is known for his studies on sensory
function of skin in health and disease.
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