Editor: Aigerim Akhmetova
Translator: Tursunova Balkadisha
Author: Aldiyarbek Nurlan
Melanoma is a skin cancer that occurs from the pigment cells of the skin and eyes. In the United States, millions of people are living with this type of cancer, and the incidence is projected to increase.
Researchers say they are targeting a specific neurotransmitter receptor with a new class of sedative drugs: valium and xanax. Neurotransmitters are biologically active chemicals that transmit an electrical impulse from a nerve cell through the synaptic space. Treatments such as radiation and immune therapy can be enhanced with these medications to better combat toxic side effects. These studies were conducted in animal models, but it is hoped that the results will soon be studied in patients with metastatic melanoma.
Scientists found that adding a drug that affects a specific neurotransmitter receptor significantly improved the penetration of immune cells into the tumor, which increased the effectiveness of treatment and allowed them to fight melanoma, the tumors decreased, and in some cases completely disappeared.
“Our long-term goal is to add this new class of drugs to radiotherapy and immunotherapy. We hope that this will help patients avoid side effects, and that by adding this drug to treatment regimens, we will reduce costs, because we think that the treatment will become more effective, and the doses of standard treatment, in turn, can be reduced,” the researchers say.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201105115203.htm
