We associate the summer period with many things - one of them being sun-filled, warm summer days. Those of us who are sunbathing enthusiasts often eagerly await the sun's rays. It is indeed possible, thanks to the sun, to get a tanned and bronzed skin, but all of us - and especially those who love to sunbathe - should remember to protect our skin on summer days.

The reason for this is that UV radiation, which is directly linked to the sun's rays, is simply dangerous for human skin. It not only promotes skin ageing, but also increases the risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen creams to protect the skin from UV radiation or eye-shielding sunglasses are well known. Scientists in the United States are now proposing a new method of UV protection, which would be provided by... DNA.

A DNA layer as protection against UV rays and... more

A protective layer prepared from DNA is the brainchild of Guy German and his colleagues, working at the State University of New York at Binghamton. It was prepared by drying a solution containing the nucleic acid. The researchers' invention takes the form of a thin, transparent layer.

UV radiation in general has the ability to damage DNA and can therefore promote the acceleration of skin ageing processes, as well as the occurrence of cancer. This was the idea of the American scientists - instead of damaging the genetic material in the skin cells, the radiation would only have a negative effect on the DNA in the protective layer applied to the skin's surface.

The first reports are quite promising - namely, it has been found that the protective DNA layer can absorb UV radiation; moreover, its absorption capacity increases with the amount of time a person spends in the sun. In addition to this, the scientists have observed that their invention has hygroscopic capabilities, meaning that it absorbs water - thus, once the layer is applied to the skin, it is possible to keep it moisturised for longer.

It will probably be some time before this type of UV protection becomes more widely available, and further necessary studies will be done to assess its effectiveness. The developers of the protective DNA layer also plan to carry out studies on whether their invention could be useful as a wound dressing.