DRUG RESISTANCE UPDATES: BU Medicine Starts Melanoma Drug Resistance Research

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine discovered a critical pathway responsible for melanoma drug resistance updates. Offers hope for the development of more effective targeted therapies. Learn more about this groundbreaking discovery here.

DRUG RESISTANCE UPDATES: BU Medicine Starts Melanoma Drug Resistance Research (Photo: Google/Canva/ Rachelle J)

Boston University School of Medicine Breaks Ground in Research of Melanoma Drug Resistance Updates

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine discovered a crucial mechanism for medication resistance in melanoma, advancing our understanding of its molecular underpinnings. The Journal of Clinical Investigation discovery gives hope for treating individuals with acquired resistance to cancer medicines, marking a turning point in cancer research and therapeutic care.

“Although the cancer research community has been very successful in developing specific targeted therapies for the genetic events driving many cancers, most patients are unable to be cured of their cancers due to acquired resistance mechanisms. We are excited about the broader implications this study has for the potential treatment of patients with acquired resistance to cancer therapies,” said co-corresponding author Rhoda Alani, MD, the Herbert Mescon Chair of Dermatology at the school.

Melanoma treatment has traditionally targeted the MAPK pathway. Unfortunately, most patients develop MAPK inhibitor resistance within one year of treatment, resulting in therapeutic failure. This finding opens a new path for resensitizing therapy-resistant tumors to targeted medicines.

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Unveiling the Molecular Basis: Hope for Overcoming Melanoma Drug Resistance Updates

Through significant collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School experts, the researchers investigated epigenetic influences on melanoma growth and targeted therapy responses. They learned that the epigenetic mediator CoREST plays a role in melanoma resistance and that Corin, a newly discovered small molecule that inhibits CoREST in two ways, may be able to target treatment resistance.

This research could lead to more focused epigenetic therapy for cancer and other disorders while reducing medication resistance. Using targeted epigenetic therapy with anticancer medications may increase treatment outcomes and disease remission, according to the study.

This remarkable discovery has direct ramifications for melanoma treatment and may also apply to other malignancies with comparable epigenetic changes associated with treatment resistance. Novel high-specificity epigenetic inhibitors like Corin could transform cancer treatment, giving therapeutically resistant patients hope and advancing targeted medicines.

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