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Updated: Apr 12, 2026

In Vivo Two-Color 2-Photon Imaging of Genetically-Tagged Reporter Cells in the Skin
Published on: July 11, 2019
FICZ: A Messenger of Light in Human Skin
1Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Madison Medical Sciences Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Abstract:
Photosensitization, subsequent to photon absorption by chromophores present in the human skin, appears to be a key mechanism of UV-induced oxidative stress. The tryptophan photoproduct 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ), an aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand, has been found to be a potent UVA photosensitizer, effective at nanomolar concentrations. A novel addition to the family of endogenous photosensitizers, the precise mechanism(s) through which it mediates oxidative stress in UVA exposed skin and its response to the UVB spectrum of the solar UV flux remains unexplored. Further studies related to its functionality in the human skin, its utility as a tool against UV-induced adverse effects, and its role in inflammatory skin diseases will have the potential to open up new avenues in the realms of human skin photobiology.
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