Melanoma, a serious and aggressive form of skin cancer, becomes difficult to treat once metastases have developed. In Belgium, around 3,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma each year. Targeted therapies, used to treat skin melanoma patients with a mutation in the BRAF gene, have been effective in shrinking tumors. However, almost all patients who use these therapies will develop resistance, limiting the long-term therapeutic response. Understanding the mechanisms involved in this resistance is crucial in order to develop new therapeutic strategies for melanoma patients.
An international research team led by scientists from the University of Liège has discovered a new therapeutic target for the treatment of melanoma resistant to targeted therapies. Inhibition of the VARS enzyme has been found to prevent therapeutic resistance by resensitizing tumors resistant to these targeted therapies. The team found that the adaptation of melanoma cells to targeted therapy is associated with a reprogramming of protein synthesis. They discovered that therapy-resistant cells develop a dependence on certain essential players in protein synthesis, including the enzyme VARS, which promotes resistance in melanoma cells. Genetic inhibition of VARS prevents therapeutic resistance and resensitizes tumors to targeted therapies.
The promising results of this research provide new hope for patients with malignant melanoma. The discovery that the regulation of transfer RNAs plays an important role in therapeutic resistance opens up the possibility of new treatment combinations for melanoma patients. Inhibition of VARS could enhance the efficacy of targeted therapies and limit the development of resistance to treatment. These findings could lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies and offer a ray of hope for patients suffering from resistant melanoma. The researchers are continuing their work to transform this discovery into a concrete and effective therapeutic option.
Targeted therapies are a new form of cancer treatment that exploit the biological differences between cancer cells and healthy cells in the body. In the case of melanoma, targeted therapies have been effective in shrinking tumors. However, almost all patients who use these therapies will develop resistance, limiting the long-term therapeutic response. Understanding the mechanisms involved in this resistance is crucial in order to develop new therapeutic strategies for melanoma patients. In Belgium, around 3,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma each year, making it important to find new ways to treat this aggressive form of skin cancer.
The team from the Cancer Signaling Laboratory at the University of Liège made a significant discovery in this field by identifying VARS as a key enzyme involved in therapeutic resistance in melanoma cells. By inhibiting VARS, researchers were able to prevent therapeutic resistance and resensitize tumors that had become resistant to targeted therapies. This discovery opens up new possibilities for treatment combinations for malignant melanoma, offering new hope for patients with resistant forms of the disease. The researchers are continuing their work to translate this discovery into concrete and effective therapeutic options for melanoma patients, potentially leading to improved outcomes for those facing this challenging form of cancer.