Susana Puig, dermatologist: “The tan is the body’s response to skin damage; it doesn’t make much sense to look for it” | Health and nicely -being | EUROtoday

Dermatologist Susana Puig (Barcelona, ​​60 years outdated) is happening a duel. For factor, on this case, however a duel in the long run. This physician, head of dermatology on the Clinic Hospital, has simply been appointed director of the Biomedical Research Institute August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), the scientific establishment hooked up to the Barcelona hospital. He is completely satisfied, desirous to face the problem, however the brand new place will soak up him the majority of his time any more and, other than leaving the medical service command, he must cut back direct care to his sufferers. And that may value him, he admits. “For me the patient medical relationship is fundamental. I carry families with family melanoma in which I included the first patient during my doctoral thesis, in the 1990s. One of the positive things of this profession is the relationship with people and to be able to help them, the link with the patients,” he explains.

Puig is the primary lady on the head of IDIBAPS, a number one biomedical analysis heart with 30 years of historical past. The scientist, who can be the chief of the group of Melanoma: Image, Genetics and Immunology Of this establishment and professor on the University of Barcelona, ​​it serves El País in its workplace, nonetheless empty and with the transfer to be carried out. His new chair is on the stone’s capturing, a location that homes on the coronary heart along with his obsession to advance within the growth of translational analysis: science leaves the clinic and has to return to the clinic, insists.

Ask. The rise of the intense proper, Trump’s cuts in analysis facilities, the command of the US National Health Institutes within the palms of an individual who launches anti -vacaus messages … Is science extra questioned than ever?

Answer. It is questioned, however on the similar time these persons are those who all the time use pseudoscientific vocabulary. They are towards, however use it for their very own profit. We are in a sophisticated time, the place science has reached the place we couldn’t even think about in a really quick time frame. And this deep data in all facets, even in human behaviors, I believe it may well scare some leaders and that’s the reason they’re someway attempting this progress of data.

P. Are you afraid of a break within the advance of scientific data?

R. This could be very exhausting to cease. Now we generate extra data a lot quicker. Artificial intelligence instruments enable us to investigate information at a stratospheric velocity and all these new applied sciences which might be being designed enable issues that till now had been unthinkable. Therefore, very exhausting to see that there’s a large destruction of science. Yes there could also be a slowdown and naturally, science wants funding. And one of many large issues is that in lots of the establishments we’re advocating for open science, sharing. And there may be the hazard that science desires to be phagocytized by a darker business than what it intends is to have a science closed and for the good thing about just a few lobbies. This is the place this battle shall be.

P. Is the IDIBAPS toll on Trump science coverage?

R. We have collaborators with the United States, in fact. And above all, there may be nice concern. And even some article or some undertaking has suffered some brake. But we’ve got to complete analyzing what this may indicate. I don’t wish to be alarmist, however we must be alert as a result of we’re in a world world and choices taken within the United States at a scientific degree can have an effect on us. But different optimistic facets may have, reminiscent of looking for collaborations somewhere else or that researchers have extra affinity to return or to not depart. It is a chance that we must always perceive, however we must generate positions, areas and financing for this to occur.

P. What could be the lengthy -term implications of all this shaking in science?

R. In people we all the time have just a little the legislation of the pendulum: there comes a time when science appears to have to resolve every little thing after which we are able to return to a time a little bit of darkness, the place we cease believing in goal and scientific information and we start to have darkish beliefs. It could occur. My impression is that now, in such a world world and the place all the knowledge is so accessible, it’s doable that, in several areas of the planet, each currents.

P. How do pseudosciences battle?

R. One would wish to suppose that with scientific information ought to be capable of counteract all this pseudoscience, however in actuality they’re emotional positions, such because the fondness for a soccer crew. Maybe we must always attempt to perceive what hides behind. Many instances it’s worry and, perhaps, if we managed to know why this worry exists, what’s its origin, we may change all this conception.

P. Your analysis space is melanoma. Just 15 years in the past there was revolutionary immunotherapy on this pores and skin most cancers. How has the factor modified?

R. Lot. At that point, the common life expectancy of a metastatic affected person with melanoma was six months and now it is 5 years. It is an important change. Although in fact, once we say this, there are 50% of sufferers who’re now not right here. Therefore, there’s a lengthy option to go.

P. How do melanomas work together with life habits? Is the important thing factor publicity to the solar?

R. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation in these inclined individuals – which might be nearly all of our inhabitants, particularly if we endure burns in childhood or after gathered radiation – could be concerned. But there are different elements that additionally play an attention-grabbing position and amongst them, for instance, inside the weight loss plan, it must be famous that espresso has been a protector for melanoma and in addition for non -melanoma pores and skin most cancers. Other attention-grabbing elements are stress, which someway produce some immunosuppression, or sleep problems, which we’ve got additionally seen that they are often concerned within the growth of melanoma or within the speedy development of this most cancers.

P. We are already in summer season, crowded seashores. Does the nice hazard to the pores and skin or threat start now?

R. The stations are necessary. In May we have already got ultraviolet radiation charges much like these of August. The ultraviolet radiation we obtain at present could be very excessive and the day could be very lengthy: the longest days of the yr are in June and it’s, due to this fact, once we can accumulate extra ultraviolet radiation. But now we’re additionally engaged on how ultraviolet radiation plus warmth damages our pores and skin and our DNA. There is a complete analysis present that’s analyzing how ultraviolet radiation impacts relying on the temperature and the way gathered, summative and even synergistic injury is seen once we mix ultraviolet radiation greater temperature.

I say this as a result of it’s not the identical as we’re strolling 5 or 10 minutes, let’s return, let’s cool … or be uncovered to ultraviolet radiation already excessive temperature. When persons are doing one thing that I would favor to not see, which is to tan, their pores and skin receives ultraviolet radiation being at a really excessive temperature. And present scientific proof says that that is far more dangerous.

P. Dermatologist Yolanda Gilaberte stated in an interview to El País that searching for the tan is like searching for a fever.

R. The tan is the physique’s response to pores and skin injury. Without injury you do not get brown. The organism is sensible and when injury happens in our DNA, our cells, keratinocytes, produce a hormone that’s associated to melanocytes subsequent door and induces a complete sequence of intracellular response to provide extra melanin. This melanin, then, is transmitted once more to the keratinocytes to attempt to shield the pores and skin of the subsequent injury. Then, with out injury there isn’t a tan. That is why it should not make a lot sense to search for it.

P. Is there extra social consciousness in regards to the dangers of the solar? The sunscreen could be very internalized.

R. Yes, there may be a number of extra consciousness, particularly with kids. It is tough to see a baby burned by the solar. And our society has accepted the photoprotector significantly better than garments, the cap. We ought to make a change of schedules, we additionally should have awnings in colleges in the summertime months and that in the course of the colonies the toilet isn’t one to 2 of midday, which I perceive that’s when it’s sizzling, however additionally it is when there’s a massive ultraviolet radiation.

P. There are 1000’s of merchandise and skincare routines. What actually takes to guard it and have it cautious?

R. The pattern is to use many merchandise and a few may very well be not essential and even dangerous to what ages. A younger pores and skin wants little greater than hygiene. A younger pores and skin when uncovered to the solar wants photoprotection. But one of many issues we’re seeing is that due to influencers We have youngsters with routines of eight or 9 merchandise that, other than being a value for the great household, are producing necessary adversarial results, reminiscent of comedogenic acnes, contact dermatitis … I might put an alarm level.