In research that could help target new treatments for skin cancer, British scientists have identified how human skin suppresses inflammation after exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). In the study at the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, healthy volunteers agreed for their skin to be safely exposed to a single, inflammation-causing dose of UVR. Skin samples were taken and researchers examined their immune profile and skin composition over time.

Results showed that the T-cells CD4+GATA3+ and CD8+GATA3+, which help the skin repair itself after UVR exposure, altered skin composition for 14 days. “They could be there to prevent abnormal skin growth or potentially to act as gatekeepers against further inflammation,” says lead author 

Nathan Hawkshaw, Ph.D.