Melanoma is a fast-progressing skin cancer characterized by a high mortality rate after metastasis. Local chemotherapy could be considered a therapeutic approach only in stage 0 of progression (in situ melanoma) and in the postoperative phase after surgical removal of suspected skin lesions. For this purpose, drugs such as Imiquimod, 5-Fluorouracil, Dacarbazine, and Doxorubicin have been tested and shown positive effects. Recently, metal nanoparticles as separate therapeutic units or drug carriers have also fallen into the research focus.
Of Interest
Research Spotlight: Innovative Nanovaccine Found to Trigger an Anti-Tumor Response for Rare Cancer
While we think of cutaneous melanoma as a sun-related skin cancer, those that develop on sun-protected sites, such as the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and fingernails are more rare but also more deadly.
Long-Term Exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 May Reduce the Risk of Developing Melanoma
When considering multiple variables, long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) may protect against the development of melanoma. According to a novel preliminary study, higher concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 correlate with a decreased risk of melanoma.
Inhibiting a gene provides a new weapon to fight treatment-resistant melanoma
The lab of The Wistar Institute’s Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D., has identified a new strategy for attacking treatment-resistant melanoma: inhibiting the gene S6K2. The team has published their findings in a paper titled “Selective abrogation of S6K2 identifies lipid homeostasis as a survival vulnerability in MAPKi-resistant NRASMUT melanoma" in the journal Science Translational Medicine.