Rebecca Araujo

DocwireNews

Two studies have directly linked mechanisms of aging to melanoma spread and treatment resistance.
The findings by teams at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health were published in <a href="https://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/10/9/1282">Cancer Discovery</a> and in <a href="https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/26/21/5709?sf131133586=1">Clinical Cancer Research</a>, respectively.
In the first study, investigators combined fibroblasts, skin tissue generating cells, from people age 25 to 35 or 55 to 65 with lab-created artificial skin and melanoma cells. When exposed to anti-cancer drugs, cells combined with aged fibroblasts resisted cell death, but the researchers reported that this rarely occurred in cells cultured with young fibroblasts. The cells cultured with aged fibroblasts also consistently upregulated FATP2, a fatty acid transporter, and increased uptake of fatty acids from the environment in and around the tumor.
The team then assessed the impact of inhibiting the BRAF oncogene pathway, which is linked to cancer cell development, while simultaneously depleting FATP2 in mice. They found that BRAF-targeted therapy alone worked to temporarily reduce tumor volume in older mice, but FATP2 inhibition eliminated the tumors for the full 60 days the mice were monitored.
&#8220;Taking up a lot of fat protects melanoma cells during therapy,&#8221; explained first author Ashani Weeraratna, PhD, in a <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-11/jhm-aia103120.php">press release</a>.
In the second study, Dr. Weeraratna’s team retroactively evaluated responses of 1,343 patients with melanoma who were treated with the anti-angiogenesis drug Avastin. Angiogenesis occurs when the blood supply to tumors transports cancer cells to other parts of the body to enable metastasis.
Patients age 45 or older showed virtually no benefit from Avastin, while patients under age 45 had longer progression-free survival, despite angiogenesis increasing with age. Upon further investigation, the team uncovered that older patients showed decreased expression of the angiogenesis-promoting gene VEGF, which Avastin is designed to block. Instead, another protein, sFRP2, was causing angiogenesis in patients over age 55.
&#8220;<a href="https://www.docwirenews.com/cardiology/cac-helps-id-cvd-risk-in-women-receiving-rt-for-breast-cancer/">Cancer</a> treatment is not one-size-fits-all,&#8221; said Dr. Weeraratna. &#8220;Our research shows that younger patients can have very different responses to treatment than older patients. Recognizing that the age of a patient can affect response to treatment is critical to providing the best care for all patients.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Age may cause identical cancer cells with the same mutations to behave differently. In animal and laboratory models of melanoma cells, age was a primary factor in treatment response. <a href="https://t.co/f84YtmEhGS">https://t.co/f84YtmEhGS</a>
— Hopkins Med News (@HopkinsMedNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/HopkinsMedNews/status/1323275283844116480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2020</a></blockquote>

Rob Dillard

HER2DX ERBB2 mRNA Score Linked With Improved Survival in First-line Metastatic HER2-positive Breast Cancer

ESMO Breast Cancer 2024

Social Support Systems are Key for the Well-being of Older Adults Living With HIV

Study Reveals Key Genes Involved in the Dysregulation of Adipose-stem Cells in Crohn Disease

Gastroenterology

Latest News

Studies Find Connection Between Age and Melanoma Treatment Resistance

Skin Cancer

Two studies have directly linked mechanisms of aging to melanoma spread and treatment resistance.
 ...

About Us

Editorial Policy

Advertising

eNewsletters

Contribute

Contact Us

MashupMD

Blood Cancers Today

Cancer Nursing Today

GU Oncology Now

Urban Health Today

Bile Duct Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Gastroesophageal Cancer

Gastric Cancer

GEP-NETs

GIST

Liver Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

GI Oncology Now

Anemia

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Essential Thrombocythemia

Hemophilia

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelofibrosis

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Polycythemia Vera

Pulmonary Embolism

Sickle Cell Disease

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombophilia

Thrombosis

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Venous Thromboembolism

von Willebrand Disease

Heme Today

Acute Kidney Injury

ADPKD

Anemia and Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease

COVID-19 and Kidney Disease

Diabetes and Hypertension

End-Stage Renal Disease

Gout

Hyperkalemia

Kidney Transplantation

Metabolic Acidosis

Nephrology Times

Mesothelioma

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small Cell Lung Cancer

Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma

Lung Cancers Today

Atherosclerotic Disease

Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Interventional Cardiology

Lipid Management

Practice Tips With Dr. Lichaa

Preventive Cardiology

Stroke

Cardiology

Breast Cancer

Gynecologic Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer

Oncology

Diabetes

Neurology

Rheumatology

Pulmonology

Ophthalmology

Infectious Diseases

— HIV

Health and Wellness

Future of Medicine

Orthopedics

Pharmacology

Career News

More

Conferences

CardioNerds

The Fellow on Call

Healthcare Unfiltered

The Oncology Brothers

Rheumatology Rounds With Dr. Maheswaranathan

Partners

Career Center

Expert Interviews

Subscribe