news M


elanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. While new drugs have been approved to treat the disease, patients nearly always develop resistance to the


therapies. This is especially relevant for patients with a mutation in the BRAF gene who generally have a robust, but temporary, response to BRAF inhibitor therapies. A new Vanderbilt University-led study, indicates


that two therapies already in clinical development as single agents may work in combination to treat many subtypes of melanoma. The investigators’ ultimate target was to block


cell proliferation and induce cell death by targeting two proteins: MDM2, a protein which facilitates degradation of the tumour suppressor p53, and Aurora kinase A (AURKA), a protein that regulates cell division and growth. TP53, the gene that encodes p53, is seldom mutated in melanoma, which makes the activation of the p53 cellular pathway through MDM2 targeting feasible. AURKA is often highly expressed in melanoma tumour cells. Early tests of an AURKA inhibitor found that the drug was stopping tumour cells from


The annual survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) shows that 13% of facial plastic surgeons surveyed saw an increase in requests for celebrity procedures in 2014, up from 3% in 2013. The annual survey goes out to a


select group of the organization’s 2,500 members to uncover the latest trends in facial plastic surgery. The study revealed Angelina Jolie’s lips and cheekbones were the most


| NEWS


A round-up of news stories in the aesthetic and anti-ageing medicine industry


STUDY FINDS COMBINATION THERAPY BLOCKS MELANOMA TUMOUR GROWTH


multiplying, making them senescent, but the cells still weren’t dying. First author Anna Vilgelm, MD, PhD, decided to combine this therapy with a second drug (MDM2 antagonist) which kills tumour cells by restoring p53 function. ‘The tumour cells made senescent by treatment with the AURKA inhibitor were not dying and might later start growing again, so we wanted to treat them with this agent that induces p53 and death of the senescent cells. The senescent cells also release cytokines that bring in immune cells to help remove and kill the senescent tumour cells,’ said Vilgelm. The investigators tested the combination


therapy in several melanoma mouse models, including one that grafts human melanoma


STUDY COMBINED TWO SINGLE AGENT THERAPIES ALREADY IN DEVELOPMENT


tumour samples directly into the mouse. Corresponding author Ann Richmond, PhD, said combining the MDM2 antagonist drug with the AURKA inhibitor worked as a form of indirect immunotherapy and blocked the growth of the tumours. ‘The combined effect of inducing senescence and then blocking MDM2 led to massive production of chemokines that recruited immune cells that helped participate in the inhibition of tumour growth,’ explained Richmond. ‘The majority of the


tumours that we tested


were able to respond to the therapy, regardless of BRAF gene mutation,


suggesting that a large cohort of patients could be treated with these drugs


including patients whose tumours had developed resistance to BRAF inhibitor therapy,’ said Vilgelm.


AAFPRS 2015 SURVEY REVEALS TRENDS IN COSMETIC SURGERY


requested, while Beyonce’s facial structure, Kim Kardashian’s eyes and jawline, Brad Pitt’s nose and Natalie Portman’s nose topped the list of coveted celebrity features. ‘Some people are attracted to the


power, fame and attention that being a celebrity brings,’ says Stephen S. Park, MD, FACS, president of the AAFPRS. ‘It’s important to remember that simply changing your appearance will not give you the same level of


recognition. Celebrity photos are so often re-touched that their images are distorted which can result in unrealistic expectations that propel consumers to seek excessive or extreme surgeries.’


Who’s getting what? Women continue to be the driving force for facial plastic surgery and make up 82% of all surgical and non-surgical procedures performed in 2014. Wanting to maintain a


youthful, vibrant appearance, the most common cosmetic surgical procedures undergone by women are rhinoplasties, followed by facelifts, blepharoplasties, and laser skin resurfacing.


Among male patients, the most


common procedures are BOTOX®, and hyaluronic acid; while rhinoplasty remains the most requested surgical procedure for both sexes for the fifth consecutive year.


prime-journal.com | January/February 2015 ❚ 9


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