Melanoma research at the Jonsson Cancer Center of UCLA

Melanoma research at the Jonsson Cancer Center of UCLA

Prof. Antoni Ribas’s team is making amazing progress! Pfizer is now using the research developed by the team.

In phase one of the project:

We have provided funds to a researcher in his laboratory and they made a fantastic discovery : removing PAK4 protein from cancer cells helps to bring T cells into the tumor to make the patient respond to immunotherapy.

Part of the funds allocated to phase 1 of the project were enabled by a private donation by Bill Ghitis before our association was set up.

In phase two of the project:

Those laboratory-based findings are already being tested in the clinic. The more we understand how PAK4 inhibition works, the easier it is to translate this science into a new drug that helps patients with cancer.The team needs more funds to achieve this!