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Skin Protection
13 August 2017

Skin Protection

At just a few millimetres thick, our skin protects us from all manner of things: infection, dehydration and more. But what protects our skin? Researchers hone in on two genes – Dmnt3a (green) and Dmnt3b – that are implicated in cancer, taking a look at what they do in skin. They looked at the skin of mice, which had been genetically tweaked to lack one or both of these genes. Under normal conditions, there wasn't any difference from regular mouse skin (pictured). However when the mice were exposed to a chemical that causes cancer, differences soon became apparent. Skin lacking Dmnt3a, but not Dmnt3b, formed more tumours than normal skin. These tumours however didn't spread. Skin lacking both genes not only had more tumours but these tumours were also more aggressive and able to spread. Dmnt3a and Dmnt3b therefore team up to protect our skin from the ravages of cancer.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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