Data from the research of University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers suggests that drugs used to treat leukemia could be repurposed for use in melanoma metastasis.
The study, which was performed in the lab of Markey Women Strong grant recipient Dr. Rina Plattner, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutrition Sciences at UK, linked the activation of ABL kinases – cancer-promoting genes – to the secretion of pro-metastatic cathepsins in the melanoma. Cathepsins affect the fibrous matrix around tumors, allowing them to get into the blood stream and spread throughout the body.
Funding for this study was provided by the National Cancer Institute. .
Read more at UK Now.