BRAF

Drug-tolerant persister cells–those that survive cancer treatment–found to rely on similar survival mechanisms across cancers, in a groundbreaking study led by Vanderbilt researchers. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered that cancer treatment induces an “idling” state for cells, which could promote resistance to treatment. Read More

A PET probe that detects the amino acid glutamine predicts whether tumors respond to certain targeted therapies in preclinical animal models. Read More

Nearly half of all patients with malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, have a mutation in the BRAF gene found in their tumors. Mutations in the BRAF gene turn on a cancer growth switch known as the MAP kinase pathway. Read More

Combination therapy with two drugs delayed the development of treatment resistance in patients with metastatic melanoma that expresses a specific mutation in the BRAF gene. Read More

An uncommon mutation of the BRAF gene in melanoma patients has been found to respond to a specific drug therapy, providing a rationale for routine screening and therapy in melanoma patients who harbor the BRAF L597 mutation. Read More

An experimental melanoma drug may be beneficial for patients not eligible for targeted therapies. Read More

A new study offers clues on why melanoma patients who are treated with oral drugs inhibiting the BRAF gene are at increased risk for developing secondary skin cancers. Read More

Investigators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and 12 other centers in the United States and Australia have found that a new drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubled median overall survival. Read More