Topical Application of Thymidine Dinucleotide to Newborn Mice Reduces and Delays Development of UV-Induced Melanomas

The study demonstrated that topical application of thymidine dinucleotide (pTT) to newborn mice genetically predisposed to melanoma delayed the onset of melanoma development and reduced the number of tumors when compared to a control group treated with a vehicle solution. Mice treated with pTT started developing melanomas at 12 weeks of age, whereas the control group began at 7 weeks. By the 21st week, 71% of the pTT-treated mice were tumor-free, in contrast to only 46% of the vehicle-treated mice. Additionally, the pTT-treated group had fewer tumors per mouse and a more than 90% reduction in average tumor burden. The study suggests that pTT may enhance DNA repair, reduce mutagenesis, and decrease inflammation, contributing to its protective effects against melanoma. The study included a total of 48 mice, with 24 in the pTT treatment group and 24 in the vehicle treatment group.