A recent study reveals that ultraviolet radiation modifies the microstructure of human skin, particularly impacting collagen, causing the skin to become tougher. This research study supplies insights into the biological reason behind the “tough” skin look observed in individuals exposed to the sun for prolonged durations.
Typical belief holds that extended direct exposure to the sun can ultimately strengthen your skin. Think about the “leatherlike” skin of farmers, roadway crew members, and others who invest extensive hours outdoors, or individuals who regular tanning cubicles or beaches during the summer season.
Regardless of these observations, minimal research has been carried out to describe why this happens on a biological level– up until now.
A study from Binghamton University researchers just recently published in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials explores how ultraviolet radiation can change the microstructure of human skin. Particularly impacted is collagen, the fibrous protein that binds together tissue, tendon, cartilage, and bone throughout our bodies.
” One method to identify the product qualities of skin is by conducting a mechanical stretch test on it,” Ittycheri stated. “If it extends really easily, its reasonably certified, however if its much harder to extend it, you can identify it as much stiffer. My experiment was to see what the isolated impacts of UV light would be and compare it with a scenario where a skin is not exposed to UV light.”
” Our body has this natural reaction in any tissue when theres some sort of injury, which likely takes place in the stratum corneum,” she stated. The same thing takes place in the heart when you have a myocardial infarction– you develop up a scar and your hearts going to not work the exact same method anymore.”
” We do not wish to put a fear element in here saying do not go out in the sun,” stated Binghamton University Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Guy German. “But extended periods of time under UV light can condition your skin in addition to result in a greater threat of carcinogenic issues.”
Leading the research with German at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Department of Biomedical Engineering are Ph.D. trainee Abraham Ittycheri, Zachary Lipsky, Ph.D. 21, and Assistant Professor Tracy Hookway.
The brand-new research study constructs on previous research study from German and Lipsky that focused on the outer stratum corneum, which is the top layer of skin. This time, the Binghamton group compared full-thickness skin samples before and after numerous levels of UV direct exposure.
” One method to characterize the product attributes of skin is by conducting a mechanical stretch test on it,” Ittycheri said. “If it extends really easily, its fairly compliant, but if its much harder to stretch it, you can characterize it as much stiffer. My experiment was to see what the separated results of UV light would be and compare it with a situation where a skin is not exposed to UV light.”
The scientists discovered that as the skin soaked up more UV radiation, the collagen fibers in it ended up being more tightly loaded together, resulting in increased stiffness and tissue that is harder to break. German sees correlations with the cross‐linkage theory of aging, which proposes that the build-up of undesirable molecular bonds over time can trigger cellular dysfunction.
Hookway– who won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award earlier this year for her research on cardiac cells– sees resemblances in between how heart and skin cells handle damage, even though they have extremely different functions.
” Our body has this natural action in any tissue when theres some sort of injury, which likely takes place in the stratum corneum,” she stated. “First, anywhere theres some sort of weakening, there needs to be compensation by some other part of the tissue otherwise therell be devastating failure. The very same thing happens in the heart when you have a myocardial infarction– you develop a scar and your hearts going to not work the very same method any longer.”
In some cases, she included, the bodys reaction will keep you alive however isnt necessarily an excellent result, possibly resulting in other medical problems later. Determining the mechanics of how it all happens could enable future physicians to guide the reactions in a healthier direction.
Following this research study, further cooperations amongst Ittycheri, German, and Hookway are already in the works. Our skin is the bodys biggest organ and the very first line of protection versus microbes and other outdoors attacks, so ways to keep and even reinforce it are clearly useful.
” Any kind of disruption to the regular process of skin is going to be destructive and exceptionally unsafe to our general way of life,” Ittycheri said. “Thats not even going into the cosmetic side of things, where a persons perception about themselves can be challenged when their skin does not look good.”
Recommendation: “Ultraviolet light induces mechanical and structural modifications completely thickness human skin” by Abraham Ittycheri, Zachary W. Lipsky, Tracy A. Hookway and Guy K. German, 6 May 2023, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials.DOI: 10.1016/ j.jmbbm.2023.105880.
