Objective
Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is one of the most feared of all cancers because of the high degree of malignancy it displays at a very early stage. CMM has been increasing in incidence faster than any other cancer, possibly because of increasing recreational exposure to sunlight. However, proof of a firm mechanistic link to specific types of sunlight-induced DNA damage is needed before preventative advice can be given to the public with confidence. In this project, we will identify and isolate genes damaged in the various stages of melanoma genesis and use these, together with know cancer-related genes, as molecular reporters to establish the precise roles of various spectral components of UV in CMM development. This work will be complemented by directly demonstrating induction of CMM events by UV and heat (sunburn) in rodent (in vivo) and human cell culture (in vitro) model systems.