Spectroscopic and Dynamic Studies of the Epidermal Chromophores trans-Urocanic Acid and Eumelanin
John D. Simon
Photoaging and skin cancer can result from the exposure of skin to ultraviolet A (UV-A, 320 nm - 400 nm) radiation. The detailed chemical mechanisms by which these processes occur are not known, but they must begin with the absorption of a UV-A photon by one or more photoreceptor(s) within the skin.
The situation is complicated by the lack of understanding of the photoreactions of many of the UV-A absorbing molecules in skin. In this Account, we describe recent research efforts directed at elucidating the UV-A induced photoreactivity of two light absorbing epidermal photo-receptors: trans-urocanic acid and melanin.
Accounts of Chemical Research, 33, 307-131 (2000)