# Reading list

> Reading list | Illumine Med Spa — The Illumine Med Spa reading list: Melanotan II pigmentation trials, sexual-function research, animal appetite experiments and reports of harm.

**Publications**

The tanning experiment opens several doors. These are the publications encountered along the way.

## Pigmentation and erections

The [pigmentation pilot](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8637402/) and the [crossover study in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9679884/) make a good pair. The abrupt change in research question makes those my starting pair; the [historical account](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412534/) then widens the development story.

## Read the animal experiments together

The [male-mouse food-motivation experiment](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36155088/) becomes more interesting beside the [rat taste-aversion study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12704398/). Their experimental settings prevent an easy merger of the results. The [topical melanoma study in cells and mice](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31968661/) deserves the same attention to its specific model.

## Return to the reports involving people

The [review of unregulated analogue use](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266027/) places the mole and melanoma reports in context and preserves the uncertainty over causation. For a particularly specific pigmentation observation, the [oral-mucosa case report](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41752902/) is worth the time. I return from these papers with less appetite for a tidy verdict and more curiosity about the differences between the findings.

## References

[1] Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8637402/
[2] Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9679884/
[3] Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412534/
[4] Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36155088/
[5] Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41752902/
[6] Preformulation studies with melanotan-II: a potential skin cancer chemopreventive peptide https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7983590/
[7] PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12851303/
[8] Eruptive dysplastic nevi following melanotan use https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22425244/
[9] Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24355990/
[10] Assessment of the aversive consequences of acute and chronic administration of the melanocortin agonist, MTII. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12704398/
[11] Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24771717/
[12] Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266027/
[13] Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31953620/
[14] Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23121206/
[15] Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23537392/
[16] Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26132941/
[17] Topical MTII Therapy Suppresses Melanoma Through PTEN Upregulation and Cyclooxygenase II Inhibition. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31968661/
[18] Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH): biology, clinical relevance and implication in melanoma https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37608347/
[19] Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34464955/
[20] Melanocortin receptor agonists, penile erection, and sexual motivation: human studies with Melanotan II https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11035391/
[21] Melanocortin receptors, melanotropic peptides and penile erection https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17584130/

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At Illumine Med Spa I follow published research through the detours of melanocortin biology; this editorial site is no med-spa business and supplies no medical advice.