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Science 16 September 2005:
Vol. 309. no. 5742, p. 1785
DOI: 10.1126/science.309.5742.1785n
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This Week in Science
Organ transplant recipients have a greatly elevated risk of developing skin cancer compared with the general population. A new study suggests that a drug commonly used to suppress the immune system in these patients, azathioprine, may play a mechanistic role. The efficacy of azathioprine depends on its incorporation into DNA in the form of 6-thioguanine (6-TG). O'Donovan et al. (p. 1871) show in studies of cultured cells that when 6-TG-containing DNA is exposed to low doses of ultraviolet A (UVA) light, a photoproduct forms that escapes DNA repair, thereby increasing the frequency of mutations. Preliminary analysis of azathioprine-treated patients revealed that they have enhanced skin photosensitivity in the UVA range. If confirmed in more extensive clinical studies, these results would suggest that transplant patients should be especially vigilant about avoiding Sun exposure.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
