New Discoveries and Honors in Cancer Research

Read the latest cancer research and recognition from the members of the Damon Runyon scientific circle.
March 23, 2011
Identification of new oncogene in melanoma

Craig J. Ceol, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘05-‘07) of University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, and colleagues, reported the identification of the gene SETDB1 which is capable of accelerating melanoma formation in zebrafish. SETDB1 cooperates with BRAF(V600E), the most common mutation in human melanoma; the SETDB1 gene encodes a histone modifying enzyme often upregulated in those tumors. This finding supports the model that disruption of histone modification promotes cancer. SETDB1 may also be a promising drug target. This study was published in and is featured on the cover of the prestigious journal Nature.