Oct 25, 2011

Dr Aziz Sancar, of the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues, report their findings online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Our research would suggest that restricting sunbathing or visits to the tanning booth to morning hours would reduce the risk of skin cancer in humans," says Sancar, and colleague Professor Sarah Graham Kenan from the UNC School of Medicine.

UV damage is repaired by an enzyme in the skin called xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA) protein, which is active in both mice and humans.

Mice were worse in the mornings

No report yet on XPA variation in humans

Interesting possibility

It might be that humans would get 2X to 4X less skin cancer at certain times of the day, perhaps morning

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview of Melanoma and Vitamin D in humans