Caffeine has some virtues against skin cancer, according to a study in mice published Monday, which explained the mechanism of protection that caffeine initiates at the molecular level.Scientists led by doctor Kawasumi Masaoki at Washington University in Seattle, have genetically modified some mice in order to reduce the ATR protein operation at the skin level.
ATR plays a key role in cell proliferation in skin affected by ultraviolet rays.
Previous research has already shown that the caffeine inhibits the ATR protein, which, neutralized, destroys those cells.
Genetically modified mice exposed to ultraviolet rays where the ATR protein action was strongly diminished, had the skin tumors developed three weeks later than the mice in the target group.
After 19 weeks of exposure to ultraviolet rays, genetically modified mice had 69% fewer skin tumors and four times less aggressive cancers than the other mice, announced the authors of the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The persistence of radiation ended up ultimately affecting the skin cells of genetically altered mice, but this happened only after 34 weeks.
The results of this study indicate that the protective effect of caffeine against UV rays, already documented in previous studies is probably explained by the neutralization of ATR protein during the precancerous stage, before the tumor of the skin fully develops.
According to the authors’ opinion, application of caffeine on the skin may help prevent the developing of skin cancer. In addition, caffeine absorbs ultraviolet rays, acting as a sunscreen.
Skin cancer is most common in the U.S., where over 1 million new cases are diagnosed each year.
Most of them are not melanoma – the most serious form – and often can be treated if the diagnosis was made early.