Argentina and Australia make a study on melanoma cells resistant to current therapies

Argentina and Australia conducted a collaborative study of melanoma cells – the most aggressive skin cancer – resistant to current therapies.

With a SALES Foundation Cancer and Science Fellowship, Florencia Madorsky Rowdo, a researcher at CONICET, worked at the prestigious Centenary Institute in Sydney, where he developed his research on the characterization of melanoma cells resistant to current therapies.

"The grant awarded by the Sales Foundation has allowed me to complete a 5-month internship in the Melanoma group led by Dr. Peter Hersey, which is located at the Centenary Institute," said Madorsky Rowdo

Hersey is a renowned scientist and oncologist, a pioneer in the development of immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer, particularly

In recent years, his laboratory has focused on the Study of resistance mechanisms to new traffic.

In particular, they focused on the role of epigenetic regulation in the resistance and role of new drugs that target these mechanisms for the treatment of melanoma.

LAS CÉLULAS SUR

Madorsky Rowdo began her studies under the direction of José Mordoh, senior researcher at CONICET and SALES, in which he focused on the Effect of inhibitors of BRAF and MEK genes in human melanoma cell lines.

They developed an in vitro model where after treatment of melanoma cells with inhibitors for long periods, persistent cells that survive the treatment are obtained. These cells have been called SUR. SUR cells show multiple changes in gene expression (plasticity) that would be related to drug survival.

During his stay in the Australian laboratory, Madorsky Rowdo was able to deepen his work "in the characterization of SUR cells".

"I badyzed changes in the expression of different proteins in SUR cells by Western blot experiments, using a wide variety of antibodies available in the laboratory," he said. said.

In addition, he indicated that parental cells and SUR cells to different epigenetic inhibitors and other signaling pathways: BET protein inhibitors, EZH2 proteins, histone deacetylases (HDACs), DNA methylases, kinases of the cell cycle, protein pathways of apoptosis, glutamine transporters. "

" Sensitivity to these inhibitors was studied separately and in combination with the BRAF inhibitor. "We found that parental cells and SUR cells are sensitive to certain HDAC inhibitors and CDK9 kinase inhibitors," he adds

COLLABORATION BETWEEN L & # 39; ARGENTINA AND AUSTRALIA
In collaboration between Argentina and Australia, although they belong to the so-called fundamental science, they aim to advance the treatment of melanoma and to find new ways to treat it.

On the other hand, it is the first joint work experience. which crystallizes the interest aroused in Australian scientists by the studies conducted by Dr. Mordoh's research team on melanoma and that Cancer with Science has been continuously supporting since 1987.

Thus, a therapeutic vaccine against melanoma being approved by ANMAT for the last stage of the clinical study