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

May 2023 | Volume 22 | Issue 5 | 465 | Copyright © May 2023


Published online April 25, 2023

doi:10.36849/JDD.7070 Anderson LM, Majidian MJ, Kolli H, et al. Ultraviolet B-rays induced gene alterations and dna repair enzymes in skin tissue. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(5):465-470. doi:10.36849/JDD.7070

Jane M. Anderson BSAa,b, Mandy J. Majidian MDa,c,d, Hiren Kolli MDa,e, Amanda Rosenthal MDa,d, Alexis Wilson BAa,f, James A Rock MSg, Zuxu Yao PhDg, Ronald Moy MDa

aResearch Department, Moy-Fincher-Chipps Facial Plastics & Dermatology, Beverly Hills, CA
bThe University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
cTulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
dDepartment of Dermatology, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles CA
eVirginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA
fClaremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA
gDermTech, La Jolla, CA
 

Abstract
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

Anderson LM, Majidian MJ, Kolli H, et al. Ultraviolet B-rays induced gene alterations and dna repair enzymes in skin tissue. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(5):465-470. doi:10.36849/JDD.7070

INTRODUCTION

Deoxynucleic acid (DNA) damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) light in humans has been well documented and described in the literature.1-5 However, the ability to detect DNA damage is typically only confirmed after gross morphological evidence exists, as seen in precancerous and cancerous lesions on the skin.

The ability to treat DNA damage and restore skin to the original state before it is grossly damaged remains a clinical challenge. There are intrinsic mechanisms known to repair DNA damage in bacteria, plants, and some animals, but humans seem to have limited options for this process and are thought to rely mainly on nucleotide excision repair (NER) mechanisms.6-8 Moreover, there is evidence that impaired DNA repair may be a susceptibility factor for sunlight-induced skin cancer in the general population.9 The use of topical DNA repair enzymes, specifically T4 Endonuclease V (T4N5) and photolyases, have previously demonstrated the ability to assist in the removal of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers formed after UV irradiation.10-12 These DNA repair enzymes have also been proven to reduce skin cancer and precancerous skin lesions, namely actinic keratoses.13,14 Wolf et al demonstrated that application of T4N5 after UV exposure nearly completely prevented the upregulation of interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), cytokines that are normally upregulated in UV-induced immune suppression.15 In addition, a cousin DNA repair enzyme derived from Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus), has shown promise in the prevention of actinic keratoses and skin cancers.16-19

The innovation of non-invasive, adhesive skin collection kits (DermTech, Inc., La Jolla, CA) may allow for the early detection of DNA damage in human skin cells at the molecular level after acute and/or chronic exposure to ultraviolet light. This new technology may also have the ability to monitor the recovery