Telomere Length of epithelium in sun burn and incidence of cancer

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460447
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Human pathology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Kenichi 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (60159069)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: テロメア / 癌化 / 日光曝露

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To study telomere shortening in the skin surrounding actinic keratosis (AK), we measured telomere lengths of epidermal cells with (AK group) and without (sun-protected and sun-exposed groups) AK and in AK itself, as well as in dermal fibroblasts in the three groups, using Q-FISH. Telomeres of basal cells were not the longest, indicating that tissue stem cells may not be located among basal cells. Telomeres of the epidermis in the sun-exposed group were shorter than those in the sun-protected. Telomeres of fibroblasts in AK group were significantly shorter than those in the sub-exposed and controls. We considered that UV-A had important role in the process of telomere shortening of fibroblasts in the skin. Our findings demonstrate that sun exposure induces telomere shortening, and that AK arises from epidermis with shorter telomeres and fibroblasts with short telomere, despite the absence of any histological atypia.

Free Research Field

テロメア