An NSAID-related compound called ampyrone appears to safely boost production of the pigment melanin in human skin, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine and National Eye Institute investigators. The discovery could lead to the development of an ampyrone-derived treatment for hypopigmentation disorders.
Such disorders, which include severe genetic forms of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) as well as inflammation-caused hypopigmented skin patches, are characterized by abnormally low or even zero levels of melanin in cells. The lack of this ultraviolet-absorbing and antioxidant pigment can result in increased skin cancer risk, vision impairments due to improper retinal development, and social difficulties.
Dr. Jonathan Zippin
