Protection against UV damage

Protection against UV damage refers to the collection of mechanisms by which organisms prevent, mitigate, or repair the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. In human skin, these include melanin synthesis, DNA damage response and repair (such as nucleotide excision repair), antioxidant systems, and apoptosis to remove irreparably damaged cells. In plants, protection involves the UVR8 signaling pathway regulating transcription of protective genes and tolerance to UV-B. Defects in these systems (e.g., mutations in DNA repair enzymes) result in severe diseases such as xeroderma pigmentosum and heightened susceptibility to UV-induced cancers. The entry “Protection against UV damage” is overly broad and not a specific molecular target or receptor, and should instead be broken down into the individual molecular actors and pathways responsible for UV defense in a given organism.

Other names

UV protectionUV defense mechanismsphotoprotection

DNA repair enhancement (e.g., via upregulation of nucleotide excision repair); Free radical scavenging (antioxidant drugs); Melanin induction (via MC1R activation or α-MSH analogues); Inhibition of inflammatory cytokines (anti-inflammatories)