Our Funds at Work

Novel GW bodies in skin cancer

P. Régine Mydlarski, MD., University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Canada and affects nearly 100,000 Canadians per year. Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common type of cancer worldwide, and its incidence is increasing. There are two major types of NMSC: basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). While BCCs are typically slow growing and rarely spread (metastasize), SCCs are more aggressive and associated with higher death rates. The overall rates for SCC metastasis range from 2 to 10%; yet, rates of up to 47% have been reported in certain high-risk patient populations, such as organ transplant recipients.
Given the universal burden of NMSC, studies are urgently required to help us better understand the process of skin cancer development. We have recently identified structures within normal skin cells and cancerous cells, called GW bodies (GWBs). These important structures are involved in a new pathway of genetic control, termed “RNA interference” or RNAi. Researchers have used this pathway to develop novel treatment approaches to a variety of cancers. We therefore propose to study the role of GWBs in NMSC and, more specifically, SCCs. The knowledge gained from our research has the potential to provide important information on the prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of patients with skin cancer.

Peer-reviewed publications supported by the Canadian Dermatology Foundation

Walsh SRA, Hogg D and Mydlarski PR. Bullous pemphigoid: from bench to bedside. Drugs 65(7): 905-926, 2005.

Kawara S, Mydlarski R, Mamelak AJ, Freed I, Wang B, Watanabe H, Shivji G, Tavadia SK, Suzuki H, Bjarnason GA, Jordan RC and Sauder DN. Low-dose ultraviolet B rays alter the mRNA expression of the circadian clock genes in cultured human keratinocytes. J Invest Dermatol 119(6): 1220-3, 2002

©2008