Sunscreen significantly reduces melanoma in mice

Researchers using mice exposed to ultraviolet B radiation found that they were less likely to develop melanoma after applying SPF 30 sunscreen, a new study suggests.

The results could pave the way for using mice to develop new forms of protective measures against skin cancers, according to UPI.

Presenting the findings at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016 this month, lead investigator Christin Burd from Ohio State University’s cancer center, stated that up to this point in time testing for sunscreens has only been on human volunteers and synthetic skin models.

“We have developed a mouse model that allows us to test the ability of a sunscreen to not only prevent burns but also to prevent melanoma. This is a remarkable accomplishment. We hope that this model will lead to breakthroughs in melanoma prevention,”

The results come after it is thought that the rate of Americans developing melanoma has dramatically increased over the last 40 years and it is estimated that 76,000 Americans will develop melanoma this year.

So far, sunscreen is used to prevent the skin burning from exposure to UV light but it is unknown whether or not it protects us from developing melanoma. The new findings will go far to find out whether or not this is the case.

Using genetically engineered mice, Burd and her colleague Andrea Holderbaum, exposed the mice first to UVB light one day after applying 4OHT to the skin and as a result, melanomas began developing rapidly. When using different SPF30 sunscreens this was dramatically reduced.

Despite the amazing results, Burd says that it’s hard to tell the exact SPF ratings of the sunscreens to get accurate results.

“We later discovered that even though the sunscreens were all marketed as SPF30, some were actually predicted to have a higher rating. For this reason, it is hard to compare the melanoma-preventing capacity of the different sunscreens at this time.”

They say the team will continue their research in order to gather more information and eventually use this to develop a new super sunscreen that will significantly lessen the risks of skin cancer.