For decades, scientists blamed DNA damage for the angry red sunburn that follows a day of too much sun. But they may have been pointing fingers at the wrong molecular culprit.
A December 2024 study identified RNA damage as the true instigator of sunburn's immediate painful effects, upending our understanding of how ultraviolet (UV) radiation affects our skin.
However, the study did not mention any other implications of learning that RNA, and not DNA, is the culprit behind sunburn.
Because DNA stores permanent genetic information, its damage can lead to lasting changes passed on to new cells, unlike RNA, a short-lived molecule used for specific tasks, whose damage is temporary.
"While it's true that RNA is more short-lived than DNA, RNA damage isn't necessarily 'better' or less significant," Dr. Hannah Kopelman, a dermatologist at Aesthetic Surgery and skin cancer dermatology fellow at Boston University, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.
Symptoms of ZAK-alpha activation include the stereotypical sunburn symptom of thickened skin, often described as leathery texture. Other symptoms like pain, itching, blistering, and wounding soon after sun exposure are also caused by ZAK-alpha activation.