(Vienna, 28 May 2026) With PhotoMel, the Medical University of Vienna is coordinating a new international Horizon Europe Mission Cancer project to investigate environmental factors that may influence melanoma risk in young adults. The focus is on early UVA exposure and interactions with ingredients in skincare products. The consortium is coordinated by Karin Pfisterer from the Department of Dermatology at MedUni Vienna.
Malignant melanoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among young people in Europe. Despite many years of prevention campaigns, the disease remains a major health concern. The newly approved EU project PhotoMel addresses precisely this issue: it investigates how UVA exposure during childhood and adolescence, as well as certain additives in skincare products, alter the structure and cells of the skin and may thereby contribute to the development and early spread of melanoma.
The aim of the project is to gain a better understanding of biological mechanisms that go beyond classic UVB-induced DNA damage. To this end, the consortium combines, among other things, ex vivo skin models, mutation analyses, investigations of the extracellular matrix, spatial multi-omics analyses, advanced microscopy, functional genomics and computer-aided modelling of cell-matrix interactions.
From mechanistic insights to predictive models
PhotoMel aims to clarify how chemical exposures influence UVA-induced skin damage, how structural and mechanical changes in skin tissue shape melanoma subpopulations, and which biomarkers might allow conclusions to be drawn regarding an increased risk of metastasis in young people. Patient cohorts and retrospective datasets will help to validate the models developed in the project and link molecular and mechanical changes to clinical outcomes.
In the long term, the results are intended to contribute to the development of new biomarkers, interoperable datasets and predictive tools. In this way, PhotoMel can lay the foundations for improved prevention, risk assessment and personalised strategies for managing melanoma in young people.
PhotoMel is part of the Mission Cancer cluster “Understanding environmental exposure in CAYA” and thus addresses key objectives of the European Cancer Mission, in particular a better understanding of environmental factors influencing cancer development and disease progression.
Project details
Project title:
PhotoMel – Decoding Early-Life UVA and Skincare Additive Interactions Driving Melanoma Risk and Progression in Young Adults
Funding programme:
Horizon Europe Mission Cancer Coordination:
Karin Pfisterer, Department of Dermatology, MedUni Vienna
Consortium partners:
A. Medical University of Vienna, Austria – Coordinator
Participants: Karin Pfisterer, Philipp Tschandl, Ichiro Okamoto, Department of Dermatology
B. CeMM – Centre for Molecular Medicine, Austria
Participant: Christoph Bock
C. Leiden University, Netherlands
Participant: Roeland Merks
D. European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany
Participants: Robert Prevedel, Carlo Brevilacqua, Fiona Watt
E. King’s College London, United Kingdom
Participant: Maddy Parsons
F. Lund University, Sweden
Participants: Kari Nielsen, affiliated with Region Skåne
G. Marije Kruis, Austria
Melanoma Patient Advocate and Communication Expert
Total budget:
€5,709,196.25
Budget share for the Medical University of Vienna:
€2,137,725.00
Project start date:
September 2026
Term:
48 months