Abstract:Melanoma is the one of the most aggressive
and less curable cancer, and yet the molecular mechanisms of the
aggressiveness remains elusive. Melanocytes and melanoma cells respond
to oxidative stress differently. We hypothesize that melanoma cells are
more resistant to oxidative stress due to constitutive activation of
EGFR/AKT/mTOR pathway and up-regulation of melanin production, leading
to the aggressive phenotype. To test the hypothesis, we set out three
specific aims. (1) To investigate the effect of H2O2 on proliferation of
melanocytes and primary and metastatic melanoma cells. (2) to
investigate the role of EGFR/AKT/mTOR in the resistance of melanoma
cells to oxidative stress. (3) to investigate the role of melanin
production in melanoma cells’ resistance to H2O2. We also propose to
train undergraduate students. Three undergraduate students will be
expected to be involved in all stages of the projects.
