Michigan State University researchers have discovered that a chemical compound, and potential new drug, reduces the spread of melanoma cells by up to 90 percent.
The man-made, small-molecule drug compound goes after a gene’s ability to produce RNA molecules and certain proteins in melanoma tumors. This gene activity, or transcription process, causes the disease to spread but the compound can shut it down. Up until now, few other compounds of this kind have been able to accomplish this.
Melatonin, a hormone produced in the human brain, appears to suppress the growth of breast cancer tumors.
Researchers at Michigan State University published this finding in the current issue of Genes and Cancer. While treatments based on this key discovery are still years away, the results give scientists a key foundation on which to build future research.
Michigan State University professor and researcher André Bachmann is collaborating on cancer-fighting research that could change the way we treat the illness.
Bachmann, professor of pediatrics and associate chair for research in the MSU College of Human Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, is working with plant biologist Robert Dudler from the University of Zurich to develop a natural bacterium produced chemical with anti-cancer properties.
Cancer treatments are moving in many new directions, which is helping oncologists target tumors and tailor treatments to individual patients. Most of these concepts have been developed over the last 10 years. New research funding by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) hopes to inspire even more research to push innovative treatment results.
Sophia Lunt, MSU assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) in the College of Natural Science (NatSci), certainly understands this concept and, as a result, is one of only four scientists nationally to receive a 2016 NextGen Grant for Transformative Cancer Research from the AACR. Lunt was formally recognized during an awards ceremony this week at AACR’s 2016 annual meeting in New Orleans.