Why do sunburns hurt us?

• April 30, 2024

Have you ever wondered why your skin hurts when you expose yourself to the rays of the Sun without the S appropriate measures ?

A group of British scientists, led by Stephen McMahon , found a molecule in the body that controls sensitivity to pain caused by the UVB rays . Which translates to sunburns on the skin.

This molecule is called CXCL5 , and it is a protein of the family of chemokines. These are responsible for recruiting inflammatory immune cells to the wounded tissue, which causes pain Y sensitivity . In interview for the magazine Science Translational Medicine, the researchers assured that this finding can help in the development of new drugs analgesics against annoying burns.

It is known that exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVB and UVA rays) from the sun causes premature aging, cancer and other changes in the skin. The UVB rays affect the top layer of the epidermis ; They are the main responsible for the burns.

How they did it?

In one experiment the researchers exposed small areas of the skin of 10 volunteers to UVB rays . As the days went by, the burns became more and more painful Y sensitive . After a week, they were taken small biopsies to analyze them and measure the levels of molecules causing pain.

In this way they discovered exceptionally high levels of the compound CXCL5 . McMahon , announced that the next step will be to develop a human version of the antibody to test it in clinical trials .

In these holidays try to keep your skin protected and thus avoid these terrible inconvenience .  

Video Medicine: What Really Causes Sunburns? (April 2024).