Skin cancer rates have risen in the UK in recent decades as a result of overexposure to the sun. Skin cancer cases have tripled in the UK since the early 1990s, and scientists say this is just the beginning.
There is a significant increase among adults aged 55 years and over. According to the latest figures from Cancer Research UK, the number of cases in this age group has increased by 195 per cent since the 1990s.
Scientists are making progress, but there is no cure yet
Early diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer reduces the number of deaths, but scientists say there is an urgent need to develop new treatments, especially techniques to neutralize melanomas that metastasize and spread from a patient’s skin to other parts of the body.
We are making progress, but we are not yet at the point where we can find a cure
– said cell biologist Dot Bennett, professor at the Research Institute for Molecular and Clinical Sciences, St George’s University in London.
However, we have recently discovered a very promising process that we hope will become an effective way to treat metastatic melanoma
added the prof.
The new technology has developed the production of a chemical called a cell-penetrating peptide, which can effectively and selectively kill melanoma cells with few toxic side effects.
We were very surprised by its effectiveness, and while there is still a lot of additional work to do before we can even consider using it in humans, it’s very encouraging.
He said.
Melanomas are associated with dividing skin cells. Sometimes, after a single mutation, this can lead to birthmarks. However, after a certain number of divisions, one of the cells’ defense mechanisms stops this process and the nevus stops growing. The problem is that sometimes additional mutations occur in the cell.
Not enough sun exposure is the root cause
The result is skin cancer, and all of the mutations involved can be induced by UV radiation. The sun is one of the main sources of UV rays, and bathing in its rays without proper protection not only causes skin burns, but can also cause skin cancer, which can take years to develop.
In many cases, surgery or radiotherapy can stop the disease. However, in some cases, skin cancer can metastasize and spread to other organs before it is noticed.
This model is the focus of Bennett and his team’s research. During the research, which was jointly funded by Cancer Research UK and the British Skin Foundation, they worked on a protein called p16, which was already known to be able to suppress tumor formation, and on a small active part of p16, a so-called peptide. .
We made a series of changes to a peptide that previous research by other scientists had suggested might be effective, allowing the peptide to enter cells, and then added the peptide to melanoma cell lines in the lab
Bennett said last week.
As with many other types of cancer, the stage at which the melanoma is identified is critical to a patient’s chances of survival. The earlier it is diagnosed, the better the outcome.
