Ultraviolet B-Rays Induced Gene Alterations and DNA Repair Enzymes in Skin Tissue.

BACKGROUND:Ultraviolet (UV) radiation leads to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and changes in gene expression. Topical DNA repair enzymes in liposomes are capable of undoing this damage.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate gene expression changes induced by ultraviolent B-rays (UVB) light and assess the effect of topical DNA repair enzymes extracted from Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus) and photolyase in modifying these changes.METHODS:Non-invasive, adhesive patch collection kits were used to sample skin on the right and left post-auricular areas before and 24 hours after UVB exposure (n=48). Subjects applied topical DNA repair enzymes to the right post-auricular area daily for 2 weeks. Subjects returned 2 weeks later for repeat non-invasive skin sample collection.RESULTS:Eight of 18 tested genes demonstrated significant changes 24 hours following UVB exposure. DNA repair enzymes from M. luteus or photolyase had no significant effect on genetic expression compared with the control at 2 weeks post UV exposure.CONCLUSION:UVB exposure causes acute changes in gene expression, which may play roles in photo-aging damage and skin cancer growth and regulation. While non-invasive gene expression testing can detect UV damage, additional genomic studies investigating recovery from UV damage at different time periods are needed to establish the potential of DNA repair enzymes to minimize or reverse this damage. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(5): doi:10.36849/JDD.7070.