University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)

Overview

The research of the UPCI Melanoma Program focuses upon gaining new insights into the central molecular events governing the biology and progression of melanoma, and bringing more effective therapy to patients with melanoma to improve the outcome of this disease, both in the advanced setting, and ultimately in the adjuvant and prevention settings. The Melanoma Program is a fulcrum of local-regional scientific interaction with other UPCI programs, and one of the leading international centers for basic research and translational studies of melanoma. The Melanoma Program members have expertise in diverse areas of molecular biology and immunology, and are dedicated to translational studies that will make new inroads into this disease which, to date, has resisted all therapies directed at advanced disease. Specifically, the members of the Melanoma Program pursue studies that provide new insights into genes and proteins that are key regulators of melanoma progression, and the development, application, and analysis of novel immunotherapies and small molecule-based therapies for patients with advanced and high-risk disease. The research conducted by the members of the UPCI Melanoma Program has also contributed substantially to the advancement of understanding this disease and its therapy at the regional, national, and international forums. The phase II and III studies of the National Cooperative Groups have built upon the work of members of the UPCI Melanoma Program, which has been strongly engaged in the development of the research agenda for the National Cooperative Groups. The UPCI Melanoma Program developed the current phase III intergroup adjuvant trial, and has made this a focus of inter-SPORE collaborations among the national SPOREs in Skin Cancer. The translational corollary investigation of the mechanism of autoimmunity and anti-tumor immunity induced by adjuvant interferon (IFN) therapy, as well as the peptide vaccine trials of the eastern cooperative oncology group (ECOG) have emanated directly from the phase I-II trials of the UPCI Melanoma Program over the past years.

The specific scientific goals of the UPCI Melanoma Program are:

• To unravel the molecular events leading to progression of melanoma using high-throughput approaches, and to identify genes and proteins that will be useful targets for small molecule-based therapies
• To develop more effective strategies for therapy of melanoma, targeting pathways of tumor-cell progression
• To reverse the host immunosuppression that appears as a fundamental element of melanoma progression