SPF May Not Be Enough To Protect Against Skin Cancer

In this paper, publishedin the September issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology ,researchers discuss the problems associated with the evaluation of IPFof sunscreens, different techniques for the assessment of IPF in humanskin, and propose development of standard techniques for IPF assessment.

Basedon past discussion by experts convened by L'Oréal Recherche in Paris in2002, five groups of immunosuppresion researchers met to discuss thestatus of IPF in human skin for this study. The researchers testeddifferent sunscreens, methods and factors on volunteers from Australia,Austria, France, UK and USA to establish a standard method fordetermining IPF.

According to the researchers, the relationshipbetween a sunscreen's SPF and its ability to protect againstimmunosuppression is not presently known. A sunscreen with high SPF buta low protection against immunosuppression, or IPF, could in factincrease skin cancer risk. The paper describes progress in assessingsunscreen immune protection and demonstrates that much work is stillneeded to define a standard method to do this.

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This study is published in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

About the Journal
TheJournal of Investigative Dermatology (JID) publishes papers describingoriginal research relevant to all aspects of cutaneous biology and skindisease. The spectrum of interest is indicated by the breadth of theeditorial staff and includes biochemistry, biophysics, carcinogenesis,cellular growth and regulation, clinical research, development,epidemiology, extracellular matrix, genetics, immunology, melanocytebiology, microbiology, molecular and cell biology, pathology,pharmacology and percutaneous absorption, photobiology, physiology, andstructure. It is published on behalf of the Society for InvestigativeDermatology (SID) and the European Society for Dermatological Research(ESDR).

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