Eliminating Metastasis in Melanoma

Arguably metastasis is what makes cancer so dangerous: that a single malignant tumor of any size can seed further tumors throughout the body; that a diaspora of metastasized cells is exceedingly hard to eliminate once let lose. If metastasis could be blocked many forms of cancer would become tractable and far less threatening, which is a fair-sized step towards a robust cure for cancer - very much needed as a part of any package of biotechnologies aimed at greatly extending healthy human life. Thus it is promising to see signs of early progress along these lines:

In laboratory experiments, scientists have eliminated metastasis, the spread of cancer from the original tumor to other parts of the body, in melanoma by inhibiting a protein known as melanoma differentiation associated gene-9 (mda-9)/syntenin. ... With further research, the approach used by the scientists could lead to targeted therapies that stop metastasis in melanoma and potentially a broad range of additional cancers.

[Researchers] found that Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) interacted with and suppressed mda-9/syntenin. Mda-9/syntenin [was] shown in previous studies to interact with another protein, c-Src, to start a series of chemical reactions that lead to increased metastasis. ... Prior research suggests that RKIP plays a seminal role in inhibiting cancer metastasis, but, until now, the mechanisms underlying this activity were not clear.

Now that the researchers have demonstrated the ability of RKIP to inhibit mda-9/syntenin-mediated metastasis, they are focusing their attention on developing small molecules imitating RKIP that could be used as new treatments for melanoma.

Link: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/vcu-rbc111412.php

Comments

Hi Reason,
This is indeed promising looking.
I have an off-topic question that I think you might have an answer to. Why is it that certain tissues are prone to dangerous cancers while others don't seem to be? One never hears about, say, cancer of the bicep.

Posted by: Will Nelson at November 15th, 2012 10:49 AM

@Will Nelson: You might look at the Wikipedia page on sarcomas:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft-tissue_sarcoma

Some of the reference links at the bottom lead to resources that are helpful in giving context as to why these are rare.

Posted by: Reason at November 15th, 2012 11:50 AM
Comment Submission

Post a comment; thoughtful, considered opinions are valued. New comments can be edited for a few minutes following submission. Comments incorporating ad hominem attacks, advertising, and other forms of inappropriate behavior are likely to be deleted.

Note that there is a comment feed for those who like to keep up with conversations.