We all know that our skin undergoes changes as we age, but does the aging process affect the environment in which melanomas live and grow?
According to research underway at The Wistar Institute, the answer is yes.
Ashani Weeraratna, MD, work focuses on the role of a specific enzyme known as Klotho which functions as a kind of anti-aging molecule. When we are young, we have lots of Klotho, but by the time we reach our 40s, it has almost disappeared from our systems.
Researchers have also found that Klotho is expressed in primary melanomas, but rarely, or in very small amounts in metastatic melanomas.
The presence of Klotho appears to inhibit metastases, while its absence, promotes them in malignant melanomas.
The goal of Dr. Weeraratna's research is to determine if putting Klotho back into a patient's body will help inhibit metastases--with the ultimate hope that this could be developed as a preventive measure.
Watch all of the presentations from the 2012 Focus On Melanoma Conference here.
Learn more about treatment for melanoma at Penn in Philadelphia.
