An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Stjepan Uldrijan from the Department of Biology and his PhD student Natálie Vadovičová, in collaboration with CEITEC MU, the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and FNUSA-ICRC, has published new findings on the molecular mechanisms that regulate the growth of malignant melanoma cells.
The team focused on two key signalling pathways that regulate the activity of ERK and AMPK kinases, which control cell growth and survival. In melanoma, their normal regulation is often disrupted by a mutation in the BRAF gene.
It was already known that melanoma tumour cells enhance protein synthesis via the translation initiation factor eIF4F, which, among other things, is associated with resistance to anticancer drugs targeting the ERK pathway. However, a new study has shown that the role of eIF4F is much broader. Its targeted inhibition significantly increases the activity of both the ERK and AMPK pathways, even in BRAF-mutated melanomas, where their simultaneous activation was previously considered unlikely. Both pathways are thus significantly influenced during protein synthesis in melanoma.
Furthermore, the researchers found that AMPK activation under these conditions occurs via a non-canonical mechanism—that is, through a pathway different from those previously described. In doing so, they uncovered an unexpected link between protein synthesis and the signalling pathways that regulate tumour growth.
These findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular biology of melanoma and may open new possibilities for developing more effective therapies for this aggressive cancer. The study’s results were published in the journal Cell Communication and Signaling.
Stjepan Uldrijan is the head of the Cancer Biology research group at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that enable the development, survival, and treatment resistance of melanoma, with the goal of identifying new targets for more effective and personalised anticancer therapy.
After the relaxed pace of the summer break, the new academic year brings a breath of fresh air, new achievements, and new challenges. Read this overview of the most interesting events that took place at our faculty in September in the field of science and research.
You have a research result. What could be the next step? Research does not have to end with a publication. If your results have potential for real-world application, they can lead to a new product, a licence, collaboration with industry, or even a university spin-off.
