As the winter air and
cloudy skies begins to settle in, people are rushing to tanning salons to stop
their 'summer glow' from fading. Anna Norto, from HealthDay, reports that
scientists have begun to conduct research on a gene that is linked to tanning
addiction. It is believed, that similar to drugs such as heroin and cocaine,
exposure to UV light can be addictive. During their initial research,
experimenters conducted UV-dependence experiments on mice and found that daily
exposure to UV-lights increased the amount of beta-endorphins in the animals
blood levels. When comparing the saliva
of people who exhibited tanning
dependence, to those who did not exhibit these characteristics, researchers
found a striking difference in the PTCHD2 gene. Because the initial sample size
was small, researchers hope to conduct larger comparisons, and determine what
may have caused these changes.
Due to
these initial findings, scientists are looking for potential therapies for those
who are UV-dependent. One of the many side effects of tanning is Melanoma. Melanoma is the cancerous growth
of skin cells due to unrepaired DNA that
causes cells to rapidly reproduce and multiply. The main cause of this disease
is consistent exposure to ultra violet radiation. With the rate of melanoma
increasing at a rapid rate, researchers are looking for safer methods for those
who need a daily dose of UV rays.
While I
read this article, several questions came into my mind. What interested me was whether a person of a
lighter skin tone was more likely to be UV- light dependent than a person of a
darker skin tone. Although people who are darker, are less likely to tan, it is
possible that they can feel the same euphoria when exposed to UV lights as
someone who tans often. With cancer rates growing faster than ever due to
environmental factors, if researchers can detect the likelihood of a person
being dependent on ultra-violet light, then through determining potential
therapies, melanoma rates around the world may decrease.
Original Article: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/01/15/scientists-spot-gene-linked-to-tanning-addiction
Addition Article: http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma
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