Monday, 26 August 2013

How red hair may increase melanoma risk

A person’s skin pigment is influenced by the melanocortin-1 (MC1R) gene receptor. For the population’s 1 to 2 percent of redheads, a mutation in MC1R accounts for their red hair color and typical light skin. Now researchers from Harvard Medical School have discovered that the same MC1R mutation responsible for the red-hair phenotype also promotes an important cancer-causing pathway. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Cao J, et al. MC1R Is a Potent Regulator of PTEN after UV Exposure in Melanocytes. Molecular Cell 2013; 51(4): 409-422.

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