Three complementary approaches to melanoma research

TheoryLab

Melanoma is much less common than some other types of skin cancers, but it is more dangerous because it’s much more likely to spread to other parts of the body if not caught and treated early. While there have been some exciting advances in melanoma research in recent years, there is much left to learn about, for example, how it spreads, how it resists treatment, and therapies could be improved. In this episode, three scientists at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center who are investigating different aspects of melanoma explain why it’s a challenging disease, describe recent advances against it, and underscore why there are so many reasons to be excited. 4:11 - Andrew Aplin, PhD, is Associate Director of Basic Research at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology. Chris Snyder, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Neda Nikbakht, MD, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. 4:42 – Dr. Aplin on his research into why melanoma is so resistant to therapy 5:59 – Dr. Snyder on his work into why the immune system sometimes doesn’t seem to recognize cancer 8:11 – Dr. Nikbakht, a dermatologist who sees patients with skin cancer, discusses how she studies the skin microbiome to learn what properties promote melanoma 10:43 – The tremendous recent advances in melanoma treatment 13:59 – What we’ve learned about the immune system in recent years 18:02 – A physician’s perspective on recent advances in melanoma research 22:04 – The big picture goal of Dr. Aplin’s research 26:51 – Dr. Snyder’s move into cancer immunology 32:00 – Dr. Nikbakht on the tremendous importance of patient samples in research 37:46 – How the collaborative environment at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center enhances their research 43:26 – The impact of ACS funding on their work 47:16 – Why advances made during the push to develop COVID-19 vaccines could be very impactful for cancer research 49:01 – A message they’d like to share with cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers