MRV Research

In a unique partnership demonstrating excellence in “team science," Dartmouth investigators from Norris Cotton Cancer Center identified a role for the molecule CXCR3 (widely known to regulate the migration of immune cells) as a key mediator of melanoma metastasis. The paper, “CXCR3 signaling in BRAFWT melanoma increases IL-8 expression and tumorigenicity," by Molly H. Jenkins, PhD, Constance E. Brinckerhoff, PhD and David W. Mullins, PhD is published in PLOS One.

This article reviews two newly described cancer syndromes: DICER1 and BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, and four uncommon syndromes: Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome, Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer (HLRCC) syndrome, Cowden syndrome (CS), and von Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease which can be under-recognized in an oncology practice. Clinical features and indications for testing are reviewed to help oncologists identify patients appropriate for genetic evaluation. Medical management recommendations and notable counseling points, such as potential for pediatric risk are detailed to highlight the importance of testing for patients and families.

A study recently published in the journal Nature Communications revealed a new potential therapeutic molecule that can halt the delivery of biological information to melanoma cells without affecting healthy cells. The study was led by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and is entitled “The nuclear translocation of ERK1/2 as an anticancer target.”