A new study published by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine examines the way in which melanoma tumors target alternative systems after developing resistance to chemotherapy.
The paper, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry on Wednesday, focuses on a genetic mutation that is found in approximately half of malignant melanoma tumors, investigating the way in which the tumors shift between the use of glucose to the use of acetate as a main source of energy. The research team successfully identified the enzyme that enables the tumor to convert acetate into energy.
“If we can develop a drug that can effectively inhibit this enzyme, we could extend the life of melanoma patients from months to years,” Samisubbu R. Naidu, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology and the study’s lead researcher, said.
With 95 percent of skin cancer-related deaths attributable to malignant melanoma, the study offers high potential for further research into this enzyme to yield new treatment options that could benefit numerous patients. Naidu also noted that these particular mutations are also found in many other types of cancer, extending the relevance of the study to other areas of cancer research.
“The benefits of this discovery may well go beyond melanoma,
” Naidu said.
