Sunlight is important for our health because it helps our body make vitamin D, which keeps our bones strong and supports the immune system.
But staying too long under the sun can also be dangerous. One of the biggest risks is skin cancer, which affects millions of people each year.
A new study from the University of Chicago, published in Nature Communications, has found how too much sunlight, especially ultraviolet (UV) radiation, can lead to skin cancer.
The researchers discovered that UV rays damage a special protein in our skin called YTHDF2. This protein plays a very important role in keeping skin cells healthy. When it gets damaged or reduced, inflammation starts and can lead to cancer.
Skin cancer is very common, especially in places with strong sunlight. In the United States alone, about 5.4 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year.
More than 90% of these cases are linked to too much exposure to UV rays. UV light harms the DNA inside our skin cells and causes inflammation, which we usually see as sunburn—redness, pain, and sometimes blisters.
The lead researcher, Professor Yu-Ying He, wanted to understand how this inflammation caused by UV rays could turn into cancer. Her team focused on a molecule called RNA. RNA helps turn genetic information into proteins. Some special types of RNA, called non-coding RNA, don’t make proteins but still play important roles in controlling how genes work.
The team found that UV rays lower the amount of YTHDF2 protein in skin cells. This protein usually helps control inflammation by keeping certain RNA messages in check. Without enough YTHDF2, the skin becomes more inflamed after UV exposure.
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense system, but if it lasts too long or becomes too strong, it can damage tissues and lead to diseases like cancer. That’s why the YTHDF2 protein is so important—it helps stop inflammation from getting out of control.
Using advanced lab techniques, the scientists discovered that YTHDF2 works with a small RNA called U6, which is normally found in the cell’s center. But after UV damage, this RNA moves to a different part of the cell called the endosome.
Endosomes are usually used to recycle materials in the cell. The researchers found that a transporter protein called SDT2 helps move U6 RNA to the endosome, and YTHDF2 travels along with it.
Inside the endosome, YTHDF2 stops the U6 RNA from activating a part of the immune system known as TLR3. If YTHDF2 is missing, U6 RNA activates TLR3, leading to strong inflammation, which can eventually turn into cancer.
This study reveals a new way the body tries to protect itself from sun damage. It shows that YTHDF2 acts like a guard, helping to keep the immune response under control and stopping inflammation from causing long-term damage. Without it, skin cells are more likely to become cancerous after being exposed to too much UV radiation.
The research offers hope for new treatments or ways to prevent skin cancer in the future. If scientists can find ways to protect or boost the function of YTHDF2, they might be able to reduce the damage caused by sunlight and stop skin cancer before it starts.
In reviewing the study, it’s clear that the researchers made an important discovery. They connected sunlight exposure with a hidden process inside the body that can lead to cancer.
They showed how a single protein, YTHDF2, helps prevent inflammation from getting out of control. Their work adds a new piece to the puzzle of how skin cancer develops and opens the door to new ways of keeping people safe.
If you care about skin health, please read studies about top signs of diabetic skin disease, and Mediterranean diet could help lower the skin cancer risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies about eating fish linked to higher risk of skin cancer, and results showing how to combat the effects of aging on your skin.
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