Cell Communication Key to Halting Melanoma Growth

Engineer and sales executive Steve Verschoor left a two decade-long career with the Santa Clara-based supply manufacturer Applied Materials to start his own company, a solar energy firm called GTSP Global. In his personal life, Steve Verschoor is a melanoma patient and advocates for advances in the disease’s treatment and research.

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that develops due to abnormalities in melanocyte cells. A recent study released by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, sheds new light on the biological mechanisms that inhibit melanoma growth. After investigating the effects of a genetic mutation known as BRAF, these scientists discovered that skin cells engage in a type of feedback system using protein signals that stops the growth at a certain limit.

Prior to this finding, researchers believed that mole growth stops due to premature aging caused by mutations. This new development suggests that understanding the cells’ communication process may be an effective approach for stopping the excessive cell growth that leads to melanoma.