A drug normally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may also help treat a deadly skin cancer, researchers have revealed.
The breakthrough, by scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK, and Children’s Hospital Boston, USA, heralds hope for an effective new treatment for the malignant melanoma.
The discovery about the effectiveness of leflunomide is reported in the March 24 edition of the journal Nature.
Dr Grant Wheeler and Dr Matt Tomlinson, from UEA, said when leflunomide is used in combination with PLX4720, a promising new melanoma therapy currently undergoing clinical trials, the effect was even more powerful – leading to almost complete block of tumour growth.
Researchers first came across the link by studying pigments from tadpoles.
The next stage is for clinical trials to be conducted into the use of leflunomide to fight melanoma.
“This is a really exciting discovery – making use of an existing drug specifically to target melanoma,” said Dr Wheeler.
“Deaths from melanoma skin cancer are increasing and there is a desperate need for new, more effective treatments.
“We are very optimistic that this research will lead to novel treatments for melanoma tumours which, working alongside other therapies, will help to stop them progressing.”
Inhibitors of DHODH suppress neural crest development and melanoma growth via modulation of transcriptional elongation. Nature, March 24 2011, vol 471, issue 7339, pp 518-522; DOI: 10.1038/nature09882
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