A recent study led by scientists at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center reveals how malignant melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer, evades the immune system and targeted therapies. The research suggests new strategies for attacking not only melanoma but also other types of cancer. The team identified a cell surface protein called CD58, which, when suppressed, allows tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. Further analysis revealed that the protein CMTM6 acts as a stabilizer, inhibiting the degradation of both CD58 and another protein called PD-L1. Understanding this mechanism could help drug developers reverse the signaling pattern and restore the tumor’s vulnerability to immune treatment. Overall, this finding is significant and likely applicable to other cancers as well.
https://www.cancer.columbia.edu/news/cancers-cloaking-device-revealed