Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals an Inflammatory Profile in Photoexposed Light Skin, Which Is Absent in Dark Skin

This study used spatial transcriptomics to examine transcriptional differences between photoexposed and photoprotected skin in young individuals with light and dark skin. The research involved 8 healthy volunteers aged 22–29, with 4 having light skin and 4 having dark skin. The findings revealed that photoexposed light skin showed significant upregulation of inflammatory chemokines and mediators, as well as matrix metalloproteinases, which were not present in dark skin. This suggests a distinct inflammatory and extracellular matrix degradative profile in light skin due to habitual photoexposure, highlighting the role of immune cell activity in photoageing and the protective effects of melanin in dark skin.