Laser Dermatology - News and Articles - interesting news items, dermatology industry, Melbourne Australia

Rationale Skincare ™ was the first skincare company to develop a Niacinamide Serum for the prevention of skin cancer and photoageing. Laser Dermatology is proud to be able to offer this exceptional skin care range to be used upon the recommendation of Dr Philip Bekhor and his team at Laser Dermatology.

The following abstract from Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2008) explains the role of Niacinamide (Nicotinamide or vitamin B3) in the treatment and prevention of skin disorders related to sun damage:- fine wrinkles, solar keratoses (pre-skin cancers), irregular pigment and brown spots. As seen in this article, Niacinamide is now thought to prevent the development of skin cancers. 

UV Radiation-Induced Immunosuppression Is Greater in Men and Prevented by Topical Nicotinamide (Niacinamide)

UV radiation-induced immunosuppression augments cutaneous carcinogenesis. The incidence of skin cancer continues to increase despite increased use of sunscreens, which are less effective at preventing immunosuppression than sunburn. Using the Mantoux reaction as a model of skin immunity, we investigated the effects of solar-simulated (ss) UV and its component UVA and UVB wavebands and tested the ability of topical nicotinamide to protect from UV-induced immunosuppression. Healthy, Mantoux-positive volunteers were UV-irradiated on their backs, with 5% nicotinamide or vehicle applied to different sites in a randomized, double-blinded manner. Subsequent Mantoux testing at irradiated and adjacent unirradiated sites enabled measurement of UV-induced immunosuppression with and without nicotinamide. Suberythemal ssUV caused significant immunosuppression, although component UVB and UVA doses delivered independently did not. Men were immunosuppressed by ssUV doses three times lower than those required to immunosuppress women. This may be an important cause of the higher skin cancer incidence and mortality observed in men. Topical nicotinamide prevented immunosuppression, with gene chip microarrays suggesting that the mechanisms of protection may include alterations in complement, energy metabolism and apoptosis pathways.

Nicotinamide is a safe and inexpensive compound that could be added to sunscreens or after-sun lotions to improve protection from immunosuppression.  

_{- Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2008), Volume 128}