February 23, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

UCLA researchers discover signature genetic changes in tumors

UCLA researchers studying how people with melanoma build up resistances to drugs used to fight it have discovered signature genetic changes in tumors that give clues about how to counter the effect, the university reported today.

“If we understand how a disease fights your therapy, then we can start to design more effective treatment strategies,” said Dr. Roger Lo of UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Lo and his team found that the melanoma cells resist the combination therapy of cancer-fighting BRAF and MEK inhibitors by developing unusual genetic changes in key cancer genes. These changes not only mark the presence of drug resistance melanoma cells, but also give clues about potential ways to shut them off.

“We need to find ways to go beyond the BRAF+MEK drug combination, by possibly finding a third drug, or alter how we prescribe the combo of drugs,” said Lo, an assistant professor of dermatology. “The idea is to eventual suppress melanoma drug resistance even before it arises.”

In a two-year study, Lo and his team took 43 tumor samples from 15 patients before they were prescribed the new BRAF+MEK inhibitor combo drugs and after they relapsed due to the melanoma developing drug resistance.

“In most cases, melanoma eventually becomes resistant,” said Dr. Antoni Ribas, co-author of the study and a professor of hematology and oncology. “We now understand the molecular basis of the resistance mechanisms, which leads to the planning of new treatment approaches to disable these mechanisms.”

About 70,000 cases of melanoma are diagnosed annually in the United States, and about 8,000 of those people eventually die of the disease. About half of patients with metastatic melanoma, or 4,000 people a year, have a mutated protein called a BRAF mutation.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Melanoma Research Alliance and Stand Up To Cancer, will be published online Thursday in the journal Cancer Cell.

Related Posts

Breaking News: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Removes Fire Chief, Appoints Interim Leader

February 21, 2025

February 21, 2025

Breaking News: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Removes Fire Chief, Appoints Interim Leader Mayor Karen Bass removed Los Angeles Fire Chief...

(Video) Rifkin Raanan Dentistry Uses Expertise and Artistry to Give Patients Their Dream Smiles

February 21, 2025

February 21, 2025

For More Info, Go To https://rodneyraanan.com/ For More Info, Go To https://t.co/fqr4Rm1iyi pic.twitter.com/zlNmLvqamj — CCNewsLA (@CCWNNews) February 21, 2025

Celebrate National Margarita Day With Specials on the Westside This Saturday

February 20, 2025

February 20, 2025

Weho, Venice, and Santa Monica Bars Serve Up Creative Margaritas For those looking to shake off the start-of-the-year blues, National...

Broxton Plaza Grand Opening Brings Free Entertainment, Skating & More to Westwood

February 20, 2025

February 20, 2025

Celebrate LA’s Largest Pedestrian Plaza With Music, Activities, and a Ribbon-Cutting Broxton Plaza, the largest pedestrian plaza in Los Angeles,...

New Initiative Aims to Revive Local Businesses in West Hollywood

February 20, 2025

February 20, 2025

With Revenues Down up to 50%, “Weho Gives Back” Launches Local businesses in West Hollywood have reported revenue declines of...

Oscar Nominee Spotlights at the Academy Museum: Exclusive Screenings & Panels

February 20, 2025

February 20, 2025

Get an Inside Look at the 2025 Academy Award-Nominated Films With Special Series The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will...

Film Review: The Monkey 

February 20, 2025

February 20, 2025

By Dolores Quintana Writer and director Osgood Perkins’ follow-up to his acclaimed 2024 film Longlegs is another animal entirely. The...

(Video) Crowns and Hops’ Teo Hunter Talks About What Makes Their Beer Special

February 20, 2025

February 20, 2025

At a pop-up tasting at Hi-Lo Liquor in Culver City, He talks about the beer called The Dopest Hazy IPA,...

(Video) Newly Opened Flour Pizzeria in Brentwood

February 20, 2025

February 20, 2025

The restaurant is reborn after they lost their Pacific Palisades shop in the fire. Flavorful Brooklyn-style pies and slices available...

UCLA Alum Chris Kluwe Arrested After Anti-MAGA Protest at City Council Meeting

February 19, 2025

February 19, 2025

Former Vikings PunterArrested After Pro-Trans/Anti-Trump Speech Chris Kluwe, a former professional NFL punter with the Vikings and graduate of UCLA,...

Santa Monica Pier Hosts Locals’ Night with Black History Month Celebration, Drone Show, and Wildfire Relief

February 19, 2025

February 19, 2025

Enjoy live music, wine tastings, food pop-ups, and a special tribute to Black culture on Feb. 20. The Santa Monica...

Celebrate Black History Month With Cultural Events in Westwood This Week

February 18, 2025

February 18, 2025

From High-Energy West African Dance To Powerful Black LGBTQ+ History Westwood will host three vibrant cultural events in February, showcasing...

Free Legal and Recovery Workshops for Los Angeles Residents Affected By Wildfires

February 18, 2025

February 18, 2025

Public Counsel Offers Expert Guidance on Rebuilding, Avoiding Scams, Trauma Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to...

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s LA Home Burglarized on Valentine’s Day

February 18, 2025

February 18, 2025

Burglary Part of a Growing Trend of High-Profile Crimes in Los Angeles The Los Angeles home of actress Nicole Kidman...

UCLA Students Protest Suspension of Pro-Palestinian Groups On Campus

February 18, 2025

February 18, 2025

Demonstrators March After University Suspends Student Organizations Groups of students gathered on the UCLA campus Tuesday afternoon to protest the...