A Potent Activator of Melanogenesis Identified from Small‐Molecule Screening

Small molecules that increase the cellular level of melanin can be used to study melanogenesis, and have therapeutic potential for melanin‐related diseases such as albinism. We describe the identification of a potent activator of melanogenesis from a targeted combinatorial library. Treating melanocytes with our most active molecule results in a 1.8‐fold increase in melanin levels, and an increase in tyrosinase‐catalyzed oxidation of L‐tyrosine, a key step in melanin biosynthesis.