Study reveals chromosome-level changes that relate to drug resistance in melanoma

Source: News Medical Life Science, December 2021

Precision therapies targeting melanoma and other cancers have improved patient survival, but tumors often stop responding to drugs, and recent studies point to changes in DNA – both inside and outside chromosomes – as a driving factor in tumor genesis as well as in treatment resistance.

To investigate mutations in a key cancer-promoting genetic pathway, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers led the development of a melanoma model of drug resistance, enabling them to study structures and dynamics resulting in intrachromosomal and extrachromosomal changes that support resistance in cancer cells. The model also allowed them to experimentally manipulate drug dose regimens and observe resistance-related responses, possibly leading to therapeutic approaches that will extend effectiveness.