Homozygous "red" gene is also dangerous
Scientists: the presence of redheads in the pedigree increases the chances of developing skin cancer
The presence of at least one variant of the gene for red hair and freckles in human DNA significantly increases the chances of developing skin cancer and the appearance of other mutations in body cells not only for red-haired people, but even for brunettes and brown-haired men, geneticists say in an article published in the journal Nature Communications (Robles-Espinoza et al., Germline MC1R status influences somatic mutation burden in melanoma).
"This is an important study that shows why red-haired people should protect themselves from the strong rays of the sun. It also emphasizes that not only redheads should strive for such protection. People who burn, not tan, or just have light skin, eyes or hair, and also have freckles or moles, are also at risk," Julie Sharp from the Cancer Research Center of Great Britain commented on the findings of scientists (in a press release from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Red hair gene variant drives up skin cancer mutations – VM).
The production of pigments that determine the color of human skin and hair is controlled by a receptor molecule from the family of melanocortins, MC1R. A mutation in the gene encoding this protein leads to the appearance of red-haired people with characteristic fair skin. They are more likely than other people to develop melanoma – the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
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13.07.2016