It is easy to use and can be applied by the patient at home. The gel is a new approach to drug delivery. It has been specifically formulated using hyaluronan, a naturally occurring sugar present in the skin, to deliver the drug which treats solar keratosis directly into the affected area of the skin and to hold it there. Hyaluronan prevents the drug from entering the blood stream thus reducing side effects which is a tremendous advantage over other treatments. Note to Editors Sunlight is the main contributor to the development of skin cancer in the UK, the incidence of which has been rising steadily over the last 30-40 years.
Melanin is the skin's natural protection against the UV rays contained in sunlight.
Black, brown and tanned caucasian skin contains more melanin. A 'sun tan', or production of melanin, is the body's response to exposure to UV light from the sun, preventing UV light from passing deeper into the skin. Fairer skins may only be able to cope with a certain amount of sunlight over the years, and once this threshold is reached, abnormalities, such as keratoses, may start to occur. Solar keratosis tends to be more common in people with fairer skins who have less natural protection against the sun, and in patients who have an altered immune system due to receiving immunosuppressive therapy after a kidney transplant. Dark and black skinned people are not completely free from risk either, as it can also affect darker skins that have encountered excessive sun exposure over the years without adequate sun protection.