595 | id == 595
595 | category_id == 63
595 | category_order == 28
595 | category_name == Skin Health
595 | category_color == #C47AC0
595 | slug == MC1R-melanoma
595 | title == A Gene Linking Skin Color & Melanoma Progression (MC1R)
595 | meta_description == MC1R alters skin color. A variant of MC1R has been associated with melanoma. Read more here.
595 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The <em>MC1R</em> gene is involved in skin, hair, and eye color determination. What does skin color have to do with melanoma, and how might a variant of this gene affect melanoma susceptibility and progression? Read more to find out.</strong></p>
595 | overall_score_text == Your Melanoma Score (based on MC1R gene)
595 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/MC1R-Melanoma.jpg
595 | author_id == 14
595 | author_name == Shany Lahan
595 | author_title == MS (Neuroscience)
595 | author_order == 5
595 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Shany.webp
595 | author_intro == <p>Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.</p>    <p>Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode&nbsp;with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing &ndash; as well as help them understand the science behind it all.</p>
595 | reviewer == None
595 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
595 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
595 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
595 | publish_date == 2021
595 | publish_date == 1
595 | publish_date == 11
595 | avg_rating == 5.0
595 | tags_id == 455
595 | tags_name == Alpha-MSH
595 | tags_id == 1111
595 | tags_name == ASIP Gene
595 | tags_id == 1112
595 | tags_name == Eumelanin
595 | tags_id == 1114
595 | tags_name == MC1R
595 | tags_id == 1120
595 | tags_name == MC1R Gene
595 | tags_id == 1054
595 | tags_name == Melanin
595 | tags_id == 1097
595 | tags_name == Melanocyte
595 | tags_id == 1113
595 | tags_name == Pheomelanin
595 | permissions_favorite == False
595 | permissions_rate == False
595 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MC1R </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">encodes a receptor essential for producing pigments that alter skin color. A variant of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MC1R </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">may play a role in melanoma by increasing MC1R production and activity, and consequently dysregulating pigment production. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of this variant by limiting MC1R activity.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>MC1R</em></strong><strong> and Melanoma</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Skin, hair, and eye color are primarily dependent on the relative amounts of eumelanin and pheomelanin, two forms of the melanin pigment group [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4299862/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eumelanin gives off a brown-black color, while pheomelanin gives off a red-yellow color. Typically, greater amounts of eumelanin result in darker skin, hair, and eyes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4299862/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eumelanin is normally produced in response to activation of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), found on the surfaces of cells called melanocytes. Activation of this receptor is mediated by </span><a href="https://selfhack.com/blog/alpha-msh-its-role-in-weight-control-autoimmunity-cirs-and-cfs/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">alpha-MSH</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/mc1r/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When MC1R is inactivated or blocked, melanocytes instead stimulate the development of pheomelanin. Blocking of MC1R is mediated by </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/blog/article/ASIP-melanoma-591/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ASIP</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/mc1r/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lighter skin is more susceptible to the negative effects of UV radiation. UV radiation from both the sun and artificial sources (e.g., tanning beds and sun lamps) can damage the DNA of melanocytes, potentially causing mutations that promote the development of a type of skin cancer called melanoma [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936410/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, darker skin may hinder the efficacy of various therapies during the course of this disease, thereby promoting melanoma progression [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4450257/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26881706/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unsurprisingly, a variant of </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/mc1r/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MC1R</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">has been associated with melanoma. This variant likely increases the production and activity of MC1R, leading to dysregulated melanin production and consequent disease progression [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5392271/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376124/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>MC1R</em></strong><strong> Results for Melanoma</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*4344563625403632*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>MC1R </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs1805007/"><strong>rs1805007</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5392271/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Higher odds of melanoma</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with melanoma</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;">*8974980637842264*</p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Recommendations for Preventing Melanoma</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*9801667911509211*</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Reducing UV Exposure</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">UV</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> radiation may exacerbate the activity of MC1R [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11851885/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15921859/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Excessive, unprotected exposure to UV radiation is by far the main risk factor for the development of melanoma. As mentioned above, UV from both the sun and artificial sources (tanning beds and sun lamps) damages the DNA of melanocytes, potentially causing mutations that turn these cells into melanomas [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25398793/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936410/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24629998/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">People with low levels of the pigment eumelanin, who typically have fair skin, blond or red hair, and light-colored eyes, are at higher risk of melanoma than those with dark skin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31002590"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alternatively, every single mole has a small probability of turning into cancer. Having a high number of moles, especially if they are large or have atypical features, also increases the risk of this skin cancer type [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2545764/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26934430"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reducing exposure to UV by limiting sun exposure (especially during the middle of the day), wearing protective clothing and sunscreen, and being aware of skin-sensitizing medications can greatly reduce the risk of melanoma.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Reducing UV exposure may help prevent melanoma by limiting the activity of MC1R.</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Maintaining a Healthy Weight</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study found that the levels of alpha-MSH are significantly higher in obese men in comparison to non-obese men, suggesting that the activity of MC1R may be greater in obese individuals [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11093286/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, obese and overweight individuals have elevated levels of the hormone </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/the-root-causes-of-leptin-resistance-and-12-ways-to-reverse-it/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">leptin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Leptin is well-known to boost alpha-MSH [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2814160/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3936413/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In men, being obese or overweight has been associated with an increased risk of melanoma in 21 studies of almost 25,000 people [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11552707/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8166137/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23200191/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may also help improve the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs for melanoma, as seen in a study in mice [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5142287/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Maintaining a healthy weight may help prevent melanoma by limiting the production of alpha-MSH and the activity of MC1R.&nbsp;</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Reducing Glycemic Load</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">glycemic load</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a measure of how much a food increases blood sugar (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) levels without taking into account the rate at which it increases them (as the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">glycemic index</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> does).</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar intake leads to the production of the blood sugar-regulating hormone </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Similar to leptin, insulin is well-known to boost alpha-MSH, suggesting that high sugar intake may promote the activity of MC1R [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3936413/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two studies on an Italian population of over 1000 people associated the intake of high-glycemic-load foods, such as refined flours, sweets, candy bars, and chocolate, with an increased incidence of melanoma in women. Conversely, soluble fiber had a protective effect in a small study [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28196548/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6769978/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16372927/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Reducing glycemic load may help prevent melanoma by limiting the production of alpha-MSH and the activity of MC1R.&nbsp;</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Coenzyme Q10</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study of melanoma cells, <a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/coenzyme-q10-ubiquinol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coenzyme Q10</a> was found to lower the production of melanin by decreasing alpha-MSH levels and lowering MC1R-mediated activity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30991050/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low blood levels of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">coenzyme Q10</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have been associated with melanoma incidence and progression [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16443053"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a small uncontrolled study of people with early-stage melanoma, supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (400 mg/day) as an add-on to interferon for 3 years reduced the rates of recurrence without causing adverse effects [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17505263/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Coenzyme Q10 may prevent melanoma by lowering the production of alpha-MSH and the activity of MC1R. </span></p>
595 | content_snp_table_4344563625403632_key == 4344563625403632
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595 | content_learn_more_8974980637842264_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your MC1R gene makes you somewhat more likely to develop melanoma. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of melanoma; it’s just one gene related to it. Reducing glycemic load and UV exposure, maintaining a healthy weight, and supplementing with coenzyme Q10 may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs1805007
rsStatus = rs1805007,MC1R,chr16,89919709,C,A,G,T,40,0,Normal
