PIGMENT CELL RESEARCH - WHAT DIRECTIONS

Over the past few years, pigment cell research has experienced unprece dented impetus in practically all areas. However, as is usually the ca se in periods of rapid development, several critical issues buried und er the glitz of recent success are more or less the same as they have been for many years. Persisting misconceptions and scientific prejudic es also contribute to cloud many issues. It appears, for example, that the common perception of melanocyte function is still biased by the t raditional concept of a pigment producing cell. In fact, in addition t o melanin, epidermal melanocytes are known to produce and excrete a nu mber of melanin-related metabolites, such as DHI and DHICA, which appe ar to play a critical role in protection of epidermal tissues against toxic oxygen radical species as well as in inflammatory and immune rea ctions. Another major gap concerns the pheomelanin pigmentary system. This has traditionally been a neglected area of research in spite of c ompelling evidence for the abnormal susceptibility of red heads to sun damage and skin cancer. An increased attention to the peculiar biolog ical and biochemical features of the pheomelanin forming cells will ex pectedly open new vistas on the UV susceptibility trait and the etiolo gy of melanoma.