NIH R01 · 2024
Identifying Therapeutic Targets for Stage III Melanoma
During the process of tumor progression, melanoma cells must exit the epidermis to form a dermal tumor, recruit lymphatic vessels, and then migrate to lymph nodes before metastasizing to distant organs. Melanoma prognosis directly correlates with tumor depth and lymph node metastasis. Therefore, ideal therapeutic agents for early stage melanoma would not only block melanoma invasion but also prevent tumor cells from accessing lymphatic vessels. Published work from our group determined that RhoJ, a gene that allows melanoma cells to resist BRAF oncogene-induced stress, is highly expressed in melanoma tumors that metastasize to the lymph node. RhoJ deletion stalled the growth of BRAF mutant…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.