A paragraph describing the group
Laboratory of Melanoma Research is focused on two main lines of research:
1) melanoma genetic and
2) melanoma immunogenetics and immunology
1. Recently melanoma research group has focused on genetic background in melanoma development and started to register melanoma families in Latvia. The group is involved in screening of melanoma susceptibility genes CDKN2A/ARF and CDK4 for their mutations. To date, only polymorphisms are revealed and the work is going on. We will also start with the investigation of melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) as modifying factor of melanoma risk and we are about to start genetic analyses of tumour samples. Our work is going on in collaboration with Genome Database of the Latvian Population and Latvian Oncological center.
2. Our melanoma immunogenetic studies are associated with the research on melanoma associated antigen (MAA) expression obtained in surgical samples. MAA profile of definite antigens (MAGE genes, MART, tyrosinaze, gp 100) was studied in accordance with clinical and histopathological features of tumour and patients surveilance.
3. The experimental study of MAA expression pattern in melanoma cell cultures after treatment with two different biomodulators elaborated in Latvia – Lariphan and Rigvir is carried out. Lariphan is double-stranded RNA of natural origin with interferon-inducing, antiviral, antitumoral effects. Rigvir is biomodulator of viral origin with immunomodulating, antitumoral and cytolytic effects. |
