Science AI Journal
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Research topic

Open research questions in melanin and skin pigmentation

96 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 284 melanin and skin pigmentation papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The current understanding of melanosome transport and keratinocyte-mediated processing is limited. Most current skin-lightening agents focus on inhibiting melanin synthesis, with relatively few targeting the full pathway of melanosome transport. There is a need for a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying melanogenesis, melanosome maturation/transport, and degradation pathways.

    Melanosome Transport and Processing in Skin Pigmentation: Mechanisms and Targets for Pigmentation Modulation · 2025 · DOI

  • The role of ER:melanosome MCS in melanosome positioning is yet to be established - The source of L-DOPA in ageing RPE is not clear and may not be related to melanosomes per se - The contribution of melanosome mislocalisation to disease pathogenesis and vision loss is not clear

    Specialised features of melanosomes in health and disease in the retinal pigment epithelium · 2025 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the role of melanosomes in protecting against photo-oxidation. It also highlights the need to explore the implications of age-related changes in melanosomes for long-term visual health. The paper notes that the contribution of melanosome mislocalisation to disease pathogenesis and vision loss is not clear.

    Specialised features of melanosomes in health and disease in the retinal pigment epithelium · 2025 · DOI

  • This is the first report on melanin production by Bacillus infantis, and there is limited information available to date about melanin-producing bacteria from salt pan sediments.

    Noncytotoxic bacterial nano-melanin with immense cosmetic potential produced by Bacillus infantis isolated from salt pans of Marakkanam, Tamil Nadu, India · 2026 · DOI

  • In Italy, the taxon is considered fairly rare and poorly documented, with previous records based exclusively on identifications provided from registrations of the call or photos.

    First Genetic Evidence Confirming the Occurrence of the Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis Blyth, 1843, in Italy · 2026 · DOI

  • This review focuses on the underexplored stages of melanosome transport, transfer, and keratinocyte-mediated processing as promising targets for therapeutic and cosmetic strategies in managing pigmentation disorders.

    Melanosome Transport and Processing in Skin Pigmentation: Mechanisms and Targets for Pigmentation Modulation · 2025 · DOI

  • Up to date, the utilization of melanin-like nanoparticles (MEL-NPs) in cancer treatment has been well-documented, although their efficacy in CM therapy remains scarcely investigated.

    Preclinical pharmaco-toxicological screening of biomimetic melanin-like nanoparticles as a potential therapeutic strategy for cutaneous melanoma · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving its melanogenic activity remain incompletely understood.

    Apigenin promotes melanogenesis and melanosome transport through the c-KIT/Raf-1/MAPK/CREB pathway in HEMCs · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the O gene in the cat genome has not been identified, and the genetic variation responsible for the orange coloration remains unknown.

    A deletion at the X-linked ARHGAP36 gene locus is associated with the orange coloration of tortoiseshell and calico cats · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the regulatory mechanism of body color patterns formation was poorly understood.

    Functions of thyroid hormone signaling in regulating melanophore, iridophore, erythrophore, and pigment pattern formation in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) · 2025 · DOI

  • To date, fundamental aspects of population genomic analyses, such as intraspecies taxonomy, evolutionary history, and adaptive evolution, of sika deer have not been systematically investigated.

    Population genomics of sika deer reveals recent speciation and genetic selective signatures during evolution and domestication · 2025 · DOI

  • Although dendritic cell (DC)- and CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmunity is critical for destroying melanocytes in vitiligo, treatment options remain limited by the absence of therapies that cotarget both cell types.

    Dimethyl itaconate suppresses dendritic cell and CD8+ T cell responses to halt vitiligo · 2025 · DOI

  • However, their mechanisms of action and their modulatory effects on melanogenesis remain unclear.

    Prenylated flavonoids from Sophora flavescens inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity and modulate melanogenesis in murine melanoma cells and zebrafish · 2024 · DOI

  • However, there is insufficient evidence to support that other antioxidant diets have a significant effect on vitiligo.

    The effect of antioxidant dietary supplements and diet-derived circulating antioxidants on vitiligo outcome: evidence from genetic association and comprehensive Mendelian randomization · 2024 · DOI

  • Limited studies using animal models with a few natural mutations in melanophilin (Mlph) provided partial functions of Mlph in melanosome trafficking.

    Melanophilin regulates dendritogenesis in melanocytes for feather pigmentation · 2024 · DOI

  • Recently, increased ROS production and disrupted apoptosis mechanisms in keloids have been reported, although the detailed mechanisms remain unclear.

    Activatable Near-Infrared Fluorescence Probe for Hypochlorous Acid Detection in Early Diagnosis of Keloids · 2024 · DOI

  • We have previously identified two variants in the Paired Box 3 (PAX3) gene associated with DBE in Maine Coon and Celestial cats; however, the presence of an underlying variant remains undetermined in other DBE breeding lines.

    Different Founding Effects Underlie Dominant Blue Eyes (DBE) in the Domestic Cat · 2024 · DOI

  • 4 to 2% of the global population, but the factors that trigger autoimmunity remain elusive.

    Insights into the gut microbiome of vitiligo patients from India · 2024 · DOI

  • Their biotechnological production by Streptomycetes, instead, has been poorly investigated so far.

    Biotechnological Production and Characterization of Extracellular Melanin by Streptomyces nashvillensis · 2024 · DOI

  • While genetic determinants of coat colour are well described in eutherian ‘placental’ mammals, the other major mammalian infraclass, marsupials, is grossly understudied.

    Coat colour in marsupials: genetic variants at the ASIP locus determine grey and black fur of the brushtail possum · 2024 · DOI

  • However, relatively few studies have been conducted on the wool color of Tibetan sheep.

    Selection signatures of wool color in Gangba sheep revealed by genome-wide SNP discovery · 2024 · DOI

  • However, there is limited information available regarding the genetic diversity, population structure and genomic regions under selection of Jianli pig.

    Genome-wide detection of selection signatures in Jianli pigs reveals novel cis-regulatory haplotype in EDNRB associated with two-end black coat color · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the genetic variants that cause this phenotype have not been fully characterized.

    Genomic analysis reveals the association of KIT and MITF variants with the white spotting in swamp buffaloes · 2024 · DOI

  • Our findings contribute to the sparse knowledge on HPS-9 and underscore the need for further exploration into the genetic causes of this rare disorder.

    A novel deletion in the BLOC1S6 Gene Associated with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 9 (HPS-9) · 2024 · DOI

  • Eumelanins play a crucial role as photoprotective agents for living organisms, yet the nature of the stationary and transient species involved in the light absorption and deactivation processes remains controversial.

    Sub-50 fs Formation of Charge Transfer States Rules the Fate of Photoexcitations in Eumelanin-Like Materials · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in melanin and skin pigmentation

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own melanin and skin pigmentation sub-topic

This page shows what the melanin and skin pigmentation literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, search the Research Gap Finder: the search is free with a free account and lists the papers closest to your topic first. Unlocking that topic (50 credits, charged once) fills the comparison table from our 4.5M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Gut microbiota and health
1,988 open questions
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
739 open questions
Extracellular vesicles in disease
551 open questions
Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
540 open questions
Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
535 open questions
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
499 open questions
RNA modifications and cancer
423 open questions
Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
419 open questions
96 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 284 melanin and skin pigmentation papers in our 4.5M-paper local library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.