Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a synthetic melanin cream, dubbed ‘super melanin,’ that can continuously heal sun damage and chemical burns.
The cream mimics natural melanin in human skin and, when topically applied, accelerates wound healing both in the skin and systemically in the body. It uses a super-sensitive technology called Single Molecule Arrays (Simoa) to detect the synthetic melanin at extremely low levels in the blood, protecting the skin from sun exposure and healing damage caused by sunburn or chemical burns. Synthetic melanin has a higher free-radical scavenging capacity than human melanin, offering continuous repair and protection against environmental damage.
The promising results from human trials indicate the non-irritating nature of synthetic melanins on human skin, offering potential treatment options for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy in the future.