Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of cobimetinib in combination with Zelboraf (vemurafenib) in the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma.
MRV Research
“hTERT Promoter" Mutation Involved In 75 Percent Of Melanomas
Researchers have identified mutations which occur at four specific sites in what is known as the “hTERT promoter" in more than 75 percent of glioblastomas and melanomas.
Telomerase is an enzyme largely responsible for the promotion of cell division. Within DNA, telomerase activation is a critical step for human carcinogenesis through the maintenance of telomeres. However, the activation mechanism during carcinogenesis – why cancer gets turned “on" – is not yet wholly understood. What is known is that transcriptional regulation of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene is the major mechanism for cancer-specific activation of telomerase.
MEK/BRAF Inhibitor Combo Reduces Death by One-Third in Melanoma
Patients with previously untreated BRAF V600E or V600K metastatic melanoma had a significant improvement in overall survival when treated with a combination of a BRAF inhibitor and a MEK inhibitor compared with treatment with a BRAF inhibitor alone, according to the results of a study published in the January 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dartmouth investigators create fast-track research tool to study mouse melanoma cell lines
Melanoma in humans is on the rise, with one in 50 individuals likely to have the disease. By developing cell lines that grow readily in culture, Dartmouth investigators led by Constance Brinckerhoff, PhD have created a fast-track research tool that remains applicable to many scientists who use mouse melanoma as a model system. The findings were first published in May 2014 in Pigment Cell Melanoma Research (Multiple murine BRaf(V600E) melanoma cell lines with sensitivity to PLX4032.)