Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Chemotherapy, Melanoma, NYU / 27.06.2025

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_69251" align="alignleft" width="156"]Tomas Kirchhoff, PhD (corresponding author)Associate ProfessorLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center New York University School of Medicine Dr. Kirchhoff[/caption] Tomas Kirchhoff, PhD (corresponding author) Associate ProfessorLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center New York University School of Medicine Robert Ferguson PhD Senior Scientist at NYU Langone Medical Center Kelsey Monson, PhD Immuno-Oncology Postdoctoral Researcher Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain how mitochondrial DNA differs from chromosomal DNA? TK: Immune checkpoint blockade has changed the way we treat several cancers, including advanced melanoma. Before these therapies, the treatment options were very limited, but now more than half of patients experience significant tumor shrinkage or disease control. KRM: Despite these advances, many patients still do not respond to treatment. One of the main challenges in cancer medicine today is to find ways to predict which patients will benefit from these therapies before treatment begins. This approach is key to personalizing care and improving outcomes. RF: Mitochondria are small structures inside our cells that produce the energy needed for cells to function. Unlike most of our DNA, mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother. Scientists can categorize this mitochondrial DNA into groups called haplogroups, based on unique variations in the genetic code. These haplogroups can provide insight into how cells produce energy and may affect a person’s health or response to cancer treatment.
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Medical Imaging, Melanoma / 14.04.2025

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_67909" align="alignleft" width="150"]Pau Rosés-Gibert, MDDermatology Department, Hospital Clínic Barcelona University of Barcelona, Fundació Clínic per la recerca biomédica, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer, IDIBAPS Diagnosis Dermatologica, Dermavision Solutions Barcelona, Spain and Dermatology Department, Hospital de Figueres, Figueres, Spain Dr. Gibert[/caption] Pau Rosés-Gibert, MD Dermatology Department, Hospital Clínic Barcelona University of Barcelona, Fundació Clínic per la recerca biomédica, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer, IDIBAPS Diagnosis Dermatologica, Dermavision Solutions Barcelona, Spain and Dermatology Department, Hospital de Figueres, Figueres, Spain MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Skin cancer monitoring, particularly in high-risk patients with atypical mole syndrome, traditionally relies on total body photography (TBP) combined with digital dermoscopy. This approach, though effective, is slow, labor-intensive, and prone to oversight since clinicians must manually locate and image individual lesions. Recent improvements in automated imaging systems, lighting, and dermoscopy software have raised the potential for fully autonomous systems to streamline this process — leading to the development of the autonomous total body photographic and dermoscopic device tested in this study.
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Melanoma, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 24.05.2024

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_61776" align="alignleft" width="125"]Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPHVice-Chair for Diversity and Inclusion Department of Dermatology Dermatologist Center for Diverse Skin Complexions Weill Cornell Medicine – NY Dr. Alexis[/caption] Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH Vice-Chair for Diversity and Inclusion Department of Dermatology Dermatologist Center for Diverse Skin Complexions Weill Cornell Medicine – NY MedicalResearch.com: What are the main types of skin cancer?  Is the incidence changing? Response: The 3 main types of skin cancer are melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States1 and 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. (2) The overall incidence has changed as follows: • Melanoma: Rates doubled over past 30 years from 1982 to 2011.3 It differs by age group. o Adolescents and adults age 30 and younger: incidence rate is declining o Older age groups (e.g. 80 and older): incidence rate is increasing • Squamous Cell Cancer: o Incidence increased 263% between 1976-1984 and 2000-20104 • Basal Cell Cancer: o Incidence increased 145% between 1976-1984 and 2000-20104
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Melanoma / 06.10.2023

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60910" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr Mitchell StarkB.App.Sc (Hons), PhD UQ Amplify Senior Research Fellow Skin Cancer Genomics and Biomarker Discovery Group Leader Frazer Institute Faculty of Medicine The University of Queensland Translational Research Institute Woolloongabba, QLD 4102 Dr. Stark[/caption] Dr Mitchell Stark B.App.Sc (Hons), PhD UQ Amplify Senior Research Fellow Skin Cancer Genomics and Biomarker Discovery Group Leader Frazer Institute Faculty of Medicine The University of Queensland Translational Research Institute Woolloongabba, QLD 4102   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Nodular melanoma (NM) is one of the most aggressive subtypes of melanoma. Despite making up only 14 per cent of cases, it is the largest contributor to melanoma deaths. [caption id="attachment_60913" align="alignleft" width="150"]One example of a nodular melanoma without pigment. Nodular melanomas may be non-descript and be of varying colors or amelanotic.DermNetNZ image One example of a nodular melanoma without pigment. 
DermNetNZ image[/caption] Nodular melanoma is difficult to catch early because it grows fast and has often spread deeper in the skin by the time it’s diagnosed. Around a quarter of NM cases also appear as a skin-coloured tumour, which might go unnoticed for longer. In this study we wanted to determine whether there were genetic variants associated with nodular melanoma, which might contribute to nodular melanoma risk. We identified 39 genes with rare DNA variants which had the greatest frequency in nodular melanoma patients compared to non-NM patients.
Allergies, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Dermatology, Melanoma / 17.03.2023

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jenni Komulainen University of Eastern Finland | UEF MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The background for this study comes from the earlier findings that the skin cancer risk and atopic status have some connection, but the results have been inconsistent. The connection between atopy and skin cancers may be related to the stimulation of protective immune response or the predisposition to carcinogenesis through chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate if atopic disorders associate with skin cancers.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Dermatology, Melanoma, Vitamin C / 10.01.2023

MedicalResearch.com Editors' note:  Please consult your health care provider before initiating any vitamin supplementation, including Vitamin D as potentially serious side effects are possible. MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Ilkka T Harvima Department of Dermatology University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital Kuopio, Finland MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The North Savo Skin Cancer Program in Eastern Finland was launched in 2017, and it aims at reducing the incidence, morbidity and mortality caused by skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. A part of this program constituted a follow-up project of patients with an assessed risk of skin cancer. There are also several other parts, such as analysis of skin cancer material reposited in the Biobank of Eastern Finland (see the enclosed BMC Cancer 2021 reference), public information, education of general physicians and medical students etc. In 2021, we published the article in BMC Cancer (enclosed), where we attempted to clarify the reasons for the relatively high melanoma mortality in relation to its incidence in this region (North Savo) of the country. By using the biobank material we also published an article in 2022 showing that melanoma and melanoma in situ associate with keratinocytic premalignant lesions and keratinocyte skin carcinomas (Suhonen V, Siiskonen H, Suni M, Rummukainen J, Mannermaa A, Harvima IT. Malignant and in situ subtypes of melanoma are associated with basal and squamous cell carcinoma and its precancerous lesions. Eur J Dermatol 2022 Apr 1;32(2):187-194. doi: 10.1684/ejd.2022.4221.). The follow-up study of about 500 subjects is ongoing (COVID-19 caused pretty much trouble for the recruitment). This is focused on finding risk factors and biomarkers for skin cancers and carcinogenesis. The first study on these follow-up patients was published in 2021 (Komulainen J, Siiskonen H, Harvima IT. Association of elevated serum tryptase with cutaneous photodamage and skin cancers. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2021;182(11):1135-1142. doi: 10.1159/000517287.). The article on vitamin D just recently published in Melanoma Research on Dec 28, 2022, is the second one. The third work in pipeline deals with the association of atopic disorders with skin cancers, and the manuscript is under revision. So, these provide with some background for the article in Melanoma Research. Actually, we thought that vitamin D use might associate with skin photoaging, actinic keratoses and carcinogenesis, but the only, though very important, finding was its association with melanoma. We have not focused our research just on vitamin D only, but it looks like we need to go further.
Author Interviews, Immunotherapy, JAMA, Melanoma / 03.11.2022

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Olivier van Not Scientific Bureau, Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing Leiden, the Netherlands Department of Medical Oncology University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht, the Netherlands MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly improved the survival of advanced melanoma patients. Treatment with these ICIs can lead to immune-related adverse events, also known as toxicity. This toxicity is graded from 1 (mild) to 5 (fatal) and examples of these toxicities are hepatitis and colitis. Since these toxicities can be life threatening and become chronic, they require treatment with immunosuppressants such as corticosteroids or anti-TNF. In a previous study of melanoma patients treated with different types of immune checkpoint inhibitors [Verheijden et al, Clin Cancer Research 2020] we found survival to be better for patients experiencing immune-related toxicity, which is in line with many other studies in several cancer types and a recent meta-analysis.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Dermatology, Melanoma / 22.09.2022

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, the Director of the Cancer Biology Research Center led this study with an outstanding PhD student, Sabina Pozzi” Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, Ph.D. Head, Cancer Research and Nanomedicine Laboratory Kurt and Herman Lion Chair in Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies Director, Cancer Biology Research Center Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Sackler Faculty of Medicine Sagol School of Neuroscience Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Cutaneous melanoma is the deadliest of all skin cancers, especially due to its tendency to invade and develop metastases with an incidence of brain metastasis development of 40% to 50% in patients with melanoma stage IV (although the incidence post mortem is 70–90%). We know that the brain microenvironment represents the first line of reaction in favor or against the tumor due to its dual ability to generate an immune-stimulatory or immunosuppressive niche, which will ultimately determine the establishment and growth of melanoma brain metastasis. Among the brain-resident cells, astrocytes are responsible for the maintenance of the brain homeostasis, and subsequent to melanoma brain colonization, they sustain and foster the growth of melanoma cells
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Melanoma / 22.07.2021

  MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Eleonora Leucci, Ph.D Assistant Professor Laboratory for RNA Cancer Biology Department of Oncology KU Leuven   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Back in 2016, while I was characterising the RNA SAMMSON as essential for mitochondrial translation in melanoma, I noticed that its inhibition was causing cell death across a large spectrum of melanoma cell lines and models, irrespectively of their genetic background and cell state. At that time I still did not know why the effect was so pronounced on melanoma cells, but I knew that antibiotics of the tetracycline family could also block mitochondrial translation and I thought about repurposing them to treat melanoma.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Dermatology, Melanoma / 02.06.2021

MedicalResearch.com interview with: Professor Marie-Aleth Richard EADV Communications Committee Chair Professor, University Hospital of La Timone Marseille, France MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this Roundtable event? Would you describe the mission of the European Commission’s Beating Cancer Plan? Response: Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is the first, comprehensive EU strategy on cancer, aimed at tackling the disease through all key stages: prevention; early detection; diagnosis and treatment; and quality of life of cancer patients and survivors. The Plan also aims to create opportunities to improve cancer care through research and innovative projects, such as artificial intelligence, and to promote equal access to knowledge and treatments in cancer care across Europe. The EADV seeks to create a bridge between the EU health policy agenda and scientific research, by engaging with policymakers, patient organisations and other stakeholders to support a patient centric-approach; tackling melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) at all stages of the pathway, from prevention to follow-up care. Through our Roundtable event, the EADV brought together these key stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness of the EBCP on preventing both melanoma and NMSC, as well as identify joint recommendations that step-up measures towards this goal.