A major European research project led by the Medical University of Vienna will investigate how environmental factors may increase melanoma risk among young adults.
The four-year initiative, known as PhotoMel, has secured more than €5.7m in funding through the Horizon Europe Mission Cancer programme and is scheduled to begin in September 2026.
The project will focus on two poorly understood contributors to skin cancer development: exposure to UVA radiation during childhood and adolescence, and interactions between UVA exposure and ingredients commonly found in skincare products.
Researchers aim to determine how these factors affect skin biology and potentially contribute to the early stages of melanoma progression.
Scientists hope the findings will lead to improved prevention strategies, new biomarkers for identifying high-risk individuals, and predictive tools that could help reduce melanoma risk and improve outcomes for younger patients across Europe.
Addressing a persistent cancer threat
Malignant melanoma remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer affecting young people in Europe. While public health campaigns have long warned about the dangers of Sun exposure, melanoma rates continue to pose a significant challenge.
PhotoMel seeks to expand scientific understanding beyond the well-established role of UVB-induced DNA damage. Instead, researchers will examine how UVA radiation, which penetrates deeper into the skin, may trigger biological changes that increase melanoma risk over time.
The study will also assess whether certain chemical additives in skincare products influence how skin responds to UVA exposure, potentially creating conditions that support cancer development or progression.
Advanced technologies to uncover new mechanisms
The international consortium, coordinated by Karin Pfisterer of MedUni Vienna’s Department of Dermatology, will use a range of advanced research techniques to investigate the disease process.
These include ex vivo skin models, mutation analysis, extracellular matrix studies, spatial multi-omics, high-resolution microscopy, functional genomics and computer-based modelling of cell interactions within skin tissue.
By combining these approaches, researchers aim to identify previously unknown biological mechanisms that may link environmental exposures to melanoma risk in younger populations.
Building predictive models for earlier intervention
A key objective of the project is to understand how chemical and UV-related exposures alter the structure and mechanical properties of skin tissue.
Researchers will explore whether these changes influence the emergence of aggressive melanoma cell populations and contribute to metastasis.
Patient cohorts and retrospective clinical datasets will be used to validate the project’s findings. This will help determine whether molecular and structural changes observed in laboratory models are associated with real-world disease outcomes.
The resulting predictive models could provide clinicians with new tools to assess melanoma risk and identify individuals who may benefit from earlier monitoring or intervention.
Supporting future prevention strategies
Beyond its scientific goals, PhotoMel aims to create interoperable datasets and develop new biomarkers that support personalised approaches to melanoma prevention and management.
The project forms part of the European Cancer Mission’s “Understanding Environmental Exposure in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults” cluster, which seeks to improve knowledge of how environmental factors contribute to cancer development.
With growing concern over melanoma incidence among younger age groups, the project could provide valuable evidence for future public health recommendations and more effective strategies to reduce melanoma risk across Europe.