A Future of Painless Sunburns?

In a new report in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers identified the protein that is responsible for triggering the pain and redness in sunburned skin. The protein, called CXCL5, summons inflammation-causing immune cells to the sun-damaged skin leading to pain and swelling. Blocking CXCL5 reduced sunburn-pain in animal models. While protecting yourself with sunscreen and sun-protective clothing is still the best approach to maintaining healthy skin, this research suggests that new therapies with the potential to alleviate pain should you get a sunburn may be on the horizon.