We have to look at our DNA to see what happens to the DNA in our skin cells when exposed to UVB radiation. If you look at the graphic, you'll see that in normal DNA structure, certain compounds, called base pairs, bond together to form the "ladder rungs" of the DNA. A certain purine always pairs with a certain pyrimidine.
When exposed to excessive amounts of UVB radiation, the Thymines get substituted out for Cytosines! And now, there is a defect in the DNA which, if it doesn't get repaired in a timely manner, will lead to the effects we all have experienced as sunburn: burning, red skin, pain, and sometimes, blistering.
To eventually get back to the topic of how disarming this normal (and actually healthy) repair process is linked to a possible treatment for eczema and other skin disorders, we have to skip to another fave topic of mine, the inflammatory response. I'll make the link more explicit in a future post coming soon. But for the next post, I'll continue on with DNA repair!
When exposed to excessive amounts of UVB radiation, the Thymines get substituted out for Cytosines! And now, there is a defect in the DNA which, if it doesn't get repaired in a timely manner, will lead to the effects we all have experienced as sunburn: burning, red skin, pain, and sometimes, blistering.
To eventually get back to the topic of how disarming this normal (and actually healthy) repair process is linked to a possible treatment for eczema and other skin disorders, we have to skip to another fave topic of mine, the inflammatory response. I'll make the link more explicit in a future post coming soon. But for the next post, I'll continue on with DNA repair!
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