Our Funds at Work

ING1b protein acetylation

Gang Li, MD, B. C. Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is a severe and life-threatening skin cancer. Currently there is no cure for metastatic melanoma. One of the obstacles in melanoma treatment is its resistance to conventional therapy. Using tissue microarray, we have demonstrated that increased phospho-Akt expression is the most important factor involved in melanoma progression and poor patient survival. To test the feasibility of targeting this molecule for gene therapy, we will construct a tissue-specific conditional replication competent adenovirus to express short hairpin RNA against Akt3. This viral vector has the advantages of enhanced infectivity and tissue-specific targeting in pigmented melanoma cells. Therefore, we expect to observe tumor regression using this viral vector targeting p-Akt. Our research will provide first hand information on the efficacy of tissue-specific gene therapy by replicating adenovirus targeting p-Akt in melanoma. This project may lead to a more effective treatment of patients with malignant melanoma.

©2007