Impact on Epidermal Cells of Narrow Band UVB (311 nm) Irradiation

• Dr. Afebuameh

  English

  Author

One of the most significant environmental risks affecting the skin is ultraviolet radiation (UVR).
Chronic UVR exposure has been shown to cause immunosuppression, speed up skin aging, and increase
the risk of developing skin cancer. However, UVR has been shown to be successful in treating a wide
range of skin conditions, leading to the development of different phototherapy techniques. One of the
most often used phototherapy devices today is narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB), which emits light
with a peak at around 311 nm. It has been shown to be beneficial in treating a variety of skin conditions.
Even though NB-UVB was created over thirty years ago, nothing is known about the precise mechanism
of its therapeutic activity. Although the majority of NB-UVB effects have so far been linked to its impact
on immune cells, the epidermis absorbs about 90% of NB-UVB radiation, and keratinocytes seem to play
a significant role in mediating NB-UVB biological activity. Here, we have examined the available
information about NB-UVB's effects on epidermal cells, with a focus on cell death and proliferation.

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