According to research by King’s College London, having eczema triggers an immune response that they say can inhibit tumor formation. This immune response works by removing potentially dangerous cancerous cells from the skin surface.
Eczema sometimes results in the loss of structural proteins in the outer layers of the skin, causing the skin barrier to become defective.
The mice used in the study were genetically engineered to replicate some of the skin defects found in those with eczema.
PROTECTED MICE AGAINST SKIN CANCER
The researchers compared the effects of two cancer-causing chemicals in mice with the defect. They discovered that the number of skin cancer tumors in mice with defects was six times lower than in mice without defects. In conclusion, the results show that defects known as the epidermal barrier protect mice against the development of benign tumors.
The study, published in the journal eLife, was the first of its kind to show that allergies as a result of skin defects can protect a person from skin cancer.