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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model
Published on: September 7, 2013
Emergence and Evolution of Mutational Hotspots in Sun-Damaged Skin
Jeffrey B Cheng1, Raymond J Cho2
1Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
Abstract:
In this issue, Albibas et al. investigate the mutational nature of p53-immunopositive patches, commonly observed in sun-damaged skin. p53-immunopositive patches have long been suspected to be lineal precursors to actinic keratoses and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. However, the mutations actually giving rise to p53-immunopositive patches, and their relationship to skin cancer, have never been defined. The considerable clinical and economic costs of monitoring and treating sun-damaged skin demand we better understand the evolution of these common premalignancies.
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