New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Genetic regulator identified as possible treatment target in melanoma

Date:
April 3, 2014
Source:
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Summary:
The RUNX2 protein, which regulates the transcription of genetic messages responsible for the different functions of cells, may play a role in melanoma cell growth and spread, and could serve as a therapeutic target for the disease, research shows. Abnormal and uncontrolled production of this class of proteins, known as transcription factors, allow for cells to bypass growth control mechanisms and to develop characteristics necessary for invading surrounding tissues. Some transcription factors already have been identified as playing a role in melanoma development. These discoveries come into a favorable context of new drugs against transcription factors being tested in clinical trials.
Share:
FULL STORY

Research from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey shows that the RUNX2 protein, which regulates the transcription of genetic messages responsible for the different functions of cells, may play a role in melanoma cell growth and spread and could serve as a therapeutic target for the disease.

Abnormal and uncontrolled production of this class of proteins, known as transcription factors, allow for cells to bypass growth control mechanisms and to develop characteristics necessary for invading surrounding tissues. Some transcription factors already have been identified as playing a role in melanoma development. These discoveries come into a favorable context of new drugs against transcription factors being tested in clinical trials. In the study, published in the current online edition of Cancer Letters, senior author Karine Cohen-Solal, PhD, and colleagues show for the first time that the RUNX2 transcription factor could also serve as a possible treatment target for melanoma.

This latest research shows deviant messaging translated through RUNX2 may result in melanoma growth, migration and invasion. In order to further understand the impact of such abnormal messaging, investigators artificially reduced the amount of RUNX2 in melanoma cells through a genetic approach. As a result, reduced abilities for cell growth, migration and invasion were found.

"Successful efforts to render transcription factors 'drugable' by interfering with different aspects of their transcriptional activity make this class of proteins attractive targets for therapy," says Dr. Cohen-Solal, a researcher at the Cancer Institute and an assistant professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "Exploring the role of RUNX2 in the development of melanoma is likely to reveal new mechanisms driving melanoma progression and identify a target for novel anti-melanoma agents, thereby opening new avenues for the treatment of this disease."


Story Source:

Materials provided by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Rajeev K. Boregowda, Oyenike O. Olabisi, Walid Abushahba, Byeong-Seon Jeong, Keneshia K. Haenssen, Wenjin Chen, Marina Chekmareva, Ahmed Lasfar, David J. Foran, James S. Goydos, Karine A. Cohen-Solal. RUNX2 is overexpressed in melanoma cells and mediates their migration and invasion. Cancer Letters, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.03.011

Cite This Page:

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. "Genetic regulator identified as possible treatment target in melanoma." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 April 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140403212358.htm>.
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. (2014, April 3). Genetic regulator identified as possible treatment target in melanoma. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140403212358.htm
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. "Genetic regulator identified as possible treatment target in melanoma." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140403212358.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES