A new study published in Frontiers in Medicine offers new data on potential treatments for uveal melanoma (UM), the most common ocular malignancy.
Tell me about the study.
International researchers collected human primary UM samples from enucleation surgeries of patients from Ireland—which has one of the world’s highest incidence rates for UM—and Spain. The tumors were then processed, cultured, and treated with vehicle and 1,4-dihydroxy quininib.
Analysis focused on the clinical relevance of cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLT) receptors and therapeutic potential of quininib analogs.
What did they find?
This study verified that high expression of CysLT1 is associated with reduced survival of metastatic UM. However, in the explant cultures of patient samples, altered secretion levels of IL-6, VEGF-A, and VEGF-D were observed in 1,4-dihydroxy quininib-treated tumors.
What does this mean?
Immunotherapies for UM have not been previously successful, and are currently the focus of much research into UM therapies. The findings from this study suggest the potential for combination therapy approaches that include treatments that increase the secretions of particular inflammatory cytokines.
The take-home.
Since UM is such a rare condition, dedicated research into the etiology and possible therapeutics is difficult. This study offers the possibility that CysLT receptor antagonism along with 1,4-dihydroxy quininib might be avenues for future research (and treatment).