This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) provides $423,468 to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to conduct research aimed at preventing the spread of melanoma cancer through the lymphatic system. The key objectives are to: 1) investigate the role of lipid metabolism in lymph node protection of melanoma cells against oxidative stress and ferroptosis, 2) assess dietary and intracellular fatty acids that could increase lipid oxidation and kill melanoma cells in lymph nodes, and 3) determine if targeting ferroptosis resistance can reduce melanoma cell survival in lymph nodes. This 5-year project will use clinically relevant patient-derived melanoma models and mouse models to identify lipid-based biomarkers and vulnerabilities that could serve as targets for preventing early-stage melanoma metastasis. The results are expected to provide insights into the lymphatic microenvironment's influence on melanoma cell lipid adaptations and inform potential dietary or therapeutic interventions to improve outcomes for melanoma patients.
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