Cutaneous melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Its development is closely linked to exposure to solar exposure namely ultraviolet (UV). It is now well established that UV radiation increases the risk of development of melanoma and melanoma incidence correlates with the intensity of the sun exposure together with the skin’s photo-type. In white population, the incidence generally increases with decreasing latitude, the highest being recorded in Australia.
UV radiation shapes the biology of the skin cells, damaging DNA, with the production of typical C-to-T transition, inducing marks at the epigenome, modulating gene expression program and the cellular response. The deep characterization of these UV-induced modifications is of utmost importance to better understand the biology of those cancer cells and propose adapted therapies.
Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, CNRS UMR6290 - University of Rennes
Department of Molecular Genetics and Genomics, Hospital University of Rennes, France