Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2025

The Three-Dimensional Human Skin Reconstruct Model: a Tool to Study Normal Skin and Melanoma Progression
11:02

The Three-Dimensional Human Skin Reconstruct Model: a Tool to Study Normal Skin and Melanoma Progression

Published on: August 3, 2011

49.7K

Discovery of a small molecule that inhibits Bcl-3-mediated cyclin D1 expression in melanoma cells

Karunakar Saamarthy1, Kristofer Ahlqvist1, Renée Daams1

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Cancer Research, Division of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Lund University, Medicon Village, 22383, Lund, Sweden.

BMC Cancer
|January 18, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified BCL3ANT, a novel molecule targeting the proto-oncogene Bcl-3, to inhibit cancer cell growth and metastasis. This discovery offers a potential new precision medicine treatment for melanoma and other cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Molecular targeted therapy is a cornerstone of precision medicine.
  • High expression of the proto-oncogene Bcl-3 drives proliferation and metastasis in various cancers, including melanoma.
  • Targeting Bcl-3 presents a therapeutic opportunity for cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel therapeutic agents targeting Bcl-3 for cancer treatment.
  • To investigate the potential of inhibiting Bcl-3 in metastatic melanoma as a model system.
  • To develop a specific drug against malignant melanoma addressing an unmet clinical need.

Main Methods:

  • High-throughput screening and in vitro experiments to identify lead molecules.
  • Evaluation of BCL3ANT's effect on Bcl-3-mediated cyclin D1 expression, cell proliferation, and migration.
  • Assessment of Bcl-3 inhibitor efficacy in experimental animal models of melanoma.

Main Results:

  • BCL3ANT was identified as a lead molecule interfering with Bcl-3-mediated cyclin D1 expression and melanoma cell functions.
  • Inhibitors of Bcl-3 demonstrated an influence on melanoma cell survival in animal models.
  • No other Bcl-3 inhibitors are currently in clinical development for cancer treatment.

Conclusions:

  • BCL3ANT is a promising lead molecule for developing novel Bcl-3 inhibitors.
  • Targeting Bcl-3 offers a unique therapeutic strategy for metastatic melanoma.
  • This research addresses a significant unmet clinical need for specific anti-cancer drugs.
Keywords:
Bcl-3Cyclin D1MelanomaProliferation

More Related Videos

Patient Derived Cell Culture and Isolation of CD133+ Putative Cancer Stem Cells from Melanoma12:16

Patient Derived Cell Culture and Isolation of CD133+ Putative Cancer Stem Cells from Melanoma

Published on: March 13, 2013

21.3K
Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics06:00

Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics

Published on: May 14, 2016

11.0K

Related Concept Videos

Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
4.8K
Positive Regulator Molecules02:39

Positive Regulator Molecules

Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
5.5K
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis02:15

M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis

Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
5.6K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
6.6K
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
35.4K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.5K