melanoma

A new study has found that an extract derived from the Cannabis sativa plant can inhibit the growth of melanoma cells and trigger cell death. The next step is to develop a targeted delivery system before moving on to pre-clinical trials and investigating whether the extract can be used to treat other types of cancers.Melanoma might only account for around 6% of skin cancers, but it’s the cause of more than 80% of skin cancer deaths. This cancer is prone to metastasizing and has been shown to be highly resistant to…

Rice University scientists have discovered a revolutionary method to destroy cancer cells using molecular vibrations. By stimulating small dye molecules with near-infrared light, they cause cancer cell membranes to rupture with a 99 percent success rate in lab cultures. This technique, termed “molecular jackhammers”, offers a new, faster approach to cancer treatment, differing significantly from existing methods. The research, involving collaborations across multiple institutions, marks a significant advancement in the…

A recent study reveals that a combination of a monobody and MMAE effectively stops blood cancer cell growth in mice, focusing on multiple myeloma. This approach targets RAS mutations in cancer cells, offering new potential in treating relapsed cases and enhancing existing cancer therapies.A new study in mice has revealed that a specific drug combined with a protein fragment can prevent the growth of blood cancer cells.This research focused on multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that originates in blood cells responsible…

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told AFP his company's experimental vaccine against melanoma could be available in as little as two years, in what would amount to a landmark step against the most serious form of skin cancer.Globally there were an estimated 325,000 new melanoma cases and 57 ,000 deaths from the disease in 2020."We think that in some countries the product could be launched under accelerated approval by 2025," he said in an interview.Unlike conventional vaccines, so-called therapeutic vaccines treat rather than…

Researchers have developed an automated platform that they've used to screen thousands of drugs and identify those that can be used to interrupt the spread of melanoma, one of which they successfully trialed on mice. The approach could help identify promising drugs to treat metastatic cancers.Metastatic cancers, particularly melanoma, continue to present a challenge because each tumor may have a unique microenvironment and respond differently to treatment. A particularly aggressive form of cancer, once melanoma has…

A phase 1 clinical trial exploring the use of fecal transplants to supplement immunotherapy treatment for melanoma has found it to be safe and has the potential to improve patients’ response to treatment.More and more research has highlighted the importance of the gut microbiome to overall health and the development of diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, intestinal bowel diseases and several cancers. Fecal transplants, the transfer of fecal bacteria and other microbes from a healthy individual into another, have…

A novel cancer vaccine tailored to genetic changes in a person’s tumor is showing promise in the clinic. In a study of about 150 people who had surgery for melanoma, a type of skin cancer, those given a personalized vaccine along with an immunotherapy drug were more likely to remain free of cancer 18 months later than patients who did not receive the vaccine. The results, reported today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR),…

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have found that exosomes, a type of small vesicle, produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in the progression of skin cancer, and assessing them could be a useful prognostic factor of malignant melanoma. Credit: Naho Fujii, Osaka Metropolitan UniversityMalignant melanoma is a relatively aggressive type of skin cancer. When detected early, it is usually treatable by surgical resection only, but metastases develop often spreading to distant areas.…

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce pigment in the skin. It is a more aggressive form of skin cancer and can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body if not detected and treated early.A team of scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has found the missing puzzle piece in the mystery of how melanoma tumors control their mortality.In a paper published in Science, they describe how they identified the specific genetic changes that allow tumors…

Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)An experimental mRNA cancer-fighting vaccine jointly developed by Moderna and Merck has reportedly succeeded in a Phase II trial. According to the companies, melanoma survivors who received the vaccine in combination with immunotherapy were 44% less likely to have their cancer return or to die than those who only took the immunotherapy. The findings indicate that mRNA vaccines could be an effective tool against cancer and will pave the way for larger, Phase III trials of the…