New genes regulating melanocyte biology and melanogenesis have been identified. Furthermore, the dissection of the cell signalling pathways involved in the control of melanogenesis is on the way. These advances have provided the bulk of new information that should lead to an improvement of our therapeutic armamentarium to treat melanin pigmentary disorders. In recent years, there have been few drugs for pigmentary disorders that have reached the clinic. Recent progress in this field has provided an impressive list of potential targets for pharmacological intervention on melanocytes and melanogenesis. Given the role of melanocytes and melanins in the natural photoprotection of the skin, a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling melanogenesis should lead to new and safe strategies to correct abnormal skin colour and to improve the skin's defence against the deleterious effects of chronic and excessive exposure to sunlight. This review describes the recent developments in melanocyte biology and melanogenesis, as well as possible implications for future therapeutic strategies. (J Dermatol Treat (2000) 11 (Suppl 1):S15-S26)
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Ortonne et al. (2000) studied this question.
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