Applied toxicology

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Ultraviolet radiation, a component of sunlight, poses potential health hazards due to its genotoxic, carcinogenic, and immunotoxic properties. Its effects include skin cancers, ocular damage, and impaired immunity to infections. Research has shown that UV photons can influence immune system activity through skin interactions, leading to the transformation of normal cells into cancerous ones while also allowing these transformed cells to proliferate by suppressing the immune response. A key area of inquiry is how UV radiation initiates changes in immune function both locally in the skin and systemically in other body areas. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have explored the immunosuppressive effects of UVB radiation in laboratory animals and human volunteers, particularly regarding resistance to tumors and skin-related infections. Investigations have focused on UVB's impact on immune parameters, including contact hypersensitivity, delayed-type hypersensitivity, mixed lymphocyte reactions, antigen presentation, and the function of Langerhans cells. One of the initial studies examined the antigenicity of tumors induced by UVB radiation in mice, highlighting the long-standing interest in understanding UV's role in immune modulation and cancer development.