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APPOINTMENT

Understanding the Impact of Skin Tone on Medication Efficacy

Today, we're exploring a lesser-known area of pharmacology: Can skin tone influence how your medications work?

Recent research suggests that skin pigmentation may act as a sponge for some medications, potentially influencing the speed with which active drugs reach their intended targets. A pair of scientists have presented this perspective in an article published in the journal Human Genomics. They argue that a sizable portion of drugs and other compounds can bind to melanin pigments in the skin, leading to differences in how bioavailable and efficacious these drugs are in people with varying skin tones.

Simon Groin, an assistant professor of evolutionary systems biology at the University of California Riverside, and co-author of the paper, states, "Our review paper concludes that melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color, shows a surprising affinity for certain drug compounds."

Melanin's Overlooked Role in Drug Safety and Dosing

Melanin's implications for drug safety and dosing have been largely overlooked, raising alarming questions about the efficacy of standard dosing. Since people vary a lot in skin tones, according to Groin and co-author Sophie Zyer, a consultant and researcher affiliated with UC Riverside specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion in preclinical and clinical trials, current FDA guidelines for toxicity testing fail to adequately address the impact of skin pigmentation on drug interactions.

Case in Point: Nicotine and Skin Pigments

In one example, the researchers found evidence of nicotine's affinity for skin pigments, potentially affecting smoking habits across people with a variety of skin tones. This raises questions about the efficacy of skin-applied nicotine patches for smoking cessation.

Groin and Zyer propose utilizing a new workflow involving human 3D skin models with varying pigmentation levels. This could offer pharmaceutical companies an efficient method to assess drug binding properties across different skin types.

Genetic Variants and Medication Metabolism

Groin explained that in different ancestral backgrounds, certain genetic variants are more prevalent. These variants can affect how a drug is metabolized and how it behaves in the body.