Preventive skin cancer vaccine

UV radiation from the sun causes oxidative stress, which increases the risk of developing skin cancers such as melanoma, explains Arup Indra, professor of pharmacy at OSU and leader of the study

A messenger RNA vaccine, like Moderna and Pfizer's for COVID-19, boosts production of the protein TR1 in skin cells and could reduce the risk of UV-induced cancer and other skin problems, he said

In the findings, published in the Journal of Dermatological Research, Arup and collaborators used mouse models to explore the role of TR1 in skin cell health and stability

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most skin cancer cases are linked to exposure to ultraviolet radiation

"Despite efforts to raise public awareness of the warning signs of melanoma and the dangers of overexposure to UV radiation, the incidence of melanoma continues to rise," Indra said

TR1 is an abbreviation for thioredoxin reductase 1

TR1 is a key component of the melanocyte antioxidant system

Melanocytes are not only surrounded by ROS from the sun, but also because of the production of pigment, the process of melanogenesis, which also leads to the production of ROS

Messenger RNA vaccines work by instructing cells to make specific proteins

A vaccine with only TR1 and no other antioxidants may be sufficient, he added, because the researchers observed increased oxidative stress and DNA damage in the absence of TR1 despite the presence of other antioxidant proteins

"Everything needs to be tested and validated in preclinical models," he said

Oregon State University scientists Gitali Ganguli-Indra, Evan Carpenter, Mark Wyant, Aaryan Indra and Gary Merrill also participated in the study, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the College of Pharmacy

Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University, University of Utah and Fujita Health University in Japan also participated in the study

Journal Reference :

1. Evan L.