New drug combination could be more effective against melanoma

Source: Medical Express, December 2018

A class of cancer drugs called protein kinase inhibitors is one of the most effective treatments for melanoma. However, in many cases, tumors eventually become resistant to the drugs and cause a relapse in the patient.

A new study from MIT suggests that combining kinase inhibitors with experimental drugs known as ribonucleases could lead to better results. In tests with human cancer cells, the researchers found that the two drugs given together kill cells much more effectively than either drug does on its own. The combination could also help to prevent tumors from developing drug resistance, says Ronald Raines, the Firmenich Professor of Chemistry at MIT.

“We discovered that this ribonuclease drug could be paired favorably with other cancer chemotherapeutic agents, and not only that, the pairing made logical sense in terms of the underlying biochemistry," Raines says.