North Carolina Doctor Working On Skin Cancer Cure With Potential
Anything that involves a potential cure for cancer is fantastic news and a reason to celebrate. And this recent news is certainly promising. A North Carolina doctor, out of East Carolina University, has discovered a molecule that is showing promise to be a skin cancer cure. This was first reported by Wilmington North Carolina news station WECT. They report that a professor at ECU, Dr. Rukiyah Van Dross-Anderson, along with her research team discovered a molecule that “has the potential to stop skin cancer cells” and potentially be a cure. She told the news station there is still work to be done. But that she believes they are on track to a cure for this potentially deadly disease.
As someone who has had skin cancer and will most likely develop more in my lifetime this is incredible news to read. Even more incredible is that the potential skin cancer cure is being developed right here in North Carolina. Dr. Van Dross-Anderson is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at ECU. According to ECU, her team’s objective is to “determine the mechanism(s) of action and chemotherapeutic potential of novel agents”. Her research interests section of the staff page alludes to this molecule and the research:
“Another objective of our research is to understand the role of COX-2 and its prostaglandin products in carcinogenesis and the response to therapy. COX-2 is an enzyme that promotes tumor growth and is overexpressed in malignancies including colon, prostate, breast, lung, and skin cancers. We are specifically interested in determining how prostaglandins modulate immunological responses in tumors and dictate tumor cell fate.”
I hope we receive more promising updates on this study in the near future. Until then make sure you are using sunscreen any time you are planning to be outside. And do everything you can to mitigate your risk of skin cancer. And certainly, certainly, certainly do not use a tanning bed. That exponentially increases your risk. And no one wants skin cancer no matter which type it is!