Researchers at The University of Chicago recently published in the journal Nature the discovery of a melanoma-cell-intrinsic oncogenic pathway that can mediate cancer immune evasion by inhibiting T cells (the primary anti-cancer weapon of the immune system), leading to the development of resistance to cancer immunotherapies. The study is entitled “Melanoma-intrinsic beta-catenin signaling prevents anti-tumor immunity.”
MRV Research
Keytruda recommended for approval in Europe as advanced melanoma treatment
Merck announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion in recommending Keytruda for treating advanced melanoma.
FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Aura Biosciences’ Novel Treatment for Uveal Melanoma
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Aura Biosciences, a biotech company developing highly tumor-targeted breakthrough therapies for rare cancers, has been granted Orphan Disease Designation by the FDA for its drug AU-011 for the treatment of Uveal Melanoma. The FDA’s Orphan Drug Designation program provides orphan status to drugs and biologics, which demonstrate promise for the diagnosis and/or treatment of rare diseases or conditions in the US. In addition, the first oral presentation of Aura Biosciences’ pre-clinical research, ‘Evaluating the in vivo efficacy of a first-in-class drug for the treatment of primary uveal melanoma’, was recently delivered by McGill University Health Centre researchers at the ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) Annual Meeting.
A new take on melanoma diagnosis
Colour is an important characteristic for diagnosing skin lesions such as malignant melanoma. In dermatological images, however, the colour is affected not only by melanin and haemoglobin under the skin surface, but also by the presence of external illumination. If pigmentation data are affected by illumination artefacts, conventional colourimetry may not accurately describe the skin histology and disease may be incorrectly diagnosed.