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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

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Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model
Published on: September 7, 2013
TRP-ing up melanophores: TRPM7, melanin synthesis, and pigment cell survival
1Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|July 17, 2007
Abstract:
McNeill et al. (2007, this issue) dissect the potential role of TRPM7 ion channels in pigment cells by studying the phenotype of zebrafish trpm7 mutant embryos. They demonstrate that 1-phenyl-2-thiourea, a known melanin synthesis inhibitor, prevents melanophore cell death in these mutants. This suggests a potential functional link between TRPM7 signaling and the detoxification of melanin synthesis intermediates.
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