Summary: A new study reveals that the protein alpha-synuclein, known for its role in Parkinson’s disease, also contributes to the development of melanoma by promoting excessive DNA repair and cell proliferation. While in neurons, excess alpha-synuclein leads to cell death, in melanoma cells it enables uncontrolled growth by recruiting repair proteins to DNA breaks.
Of Interest
Circulating Tumor DNA Test May Help Predict Melanoma Recurrence
A study led by scientists at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center has shown that monitoring blood levels of DNA fragments shed by dying tumor cells may accurately predict skin cancer recurrence.
Understanding How to Advance Immunotherapy Strategy Models in Melanoma
Melanoma is a key cancer type for developing and testing immunotherapies prior to broader clinical application across other malignancies, Dr. Georgina Long explained in an interview with CURE.
How Does MMS Compare With Conventional Excision for Hand and Foot Melanomas?
Conventional excision (CE) of hand and foot melanomas is associated with increased rates of reconstruction with positive margins, repeat excisions, and longer time to reconstruction compared with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), according to study findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.