Multi-Tasking p53 Repairs DNA While Giving You a Tan

That bum of a tumor suppressor protein p53 does a great job repairing DNA when it can be bothered. When p53 is not up to doing its job, cells begin growing uncontrollably and can result in cancer. But perhaps p53 is just too busy since it actually plays a part in tanning as well. The p53 system has been discovered to both repair DNA damage and prepare cells to resist future DNA damage via the tanning process.

Barbara Gilchrest, chair of the Department of Dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine:

When you damage DNA in cells, they not only work very hard to fix that DNA, but they also work hard to prepare the cell and tissue to be resistant to future DNA damage. Once you have that tan, your DNA is better protected for the next time that you’re out in the sun, because of that melanin cover over the nucleus shielding it from UV rays that would damage [the] DNA inside.

One idea for utilizing this information is to stimulate the p53 pathway to create artificial tans. Look out for the p53 tanning salon opening near you.

Scientific American, March 9, 2007

Tags: p53, sun tan, tanning, tans, genes, genetics, genome, dna, diseases, illness, health, cancer, science