SIRT6 and melanoma growth and spread

Role of sirtuin 6 in melanoma development and progression

NIH-funded research Wm S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hosp · NIH-11489894

Researchers are seeing if blocking a protein called SIRT6 can help stop melanoma from growing and spreading in people with melanoma.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionWm S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hosp NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Madison, United States)
Project IDNIH-11489894 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This work focuses on a protein called SIRT6 that lab and animal experiments suggest helps melanoma cells grow. Scientists will use cell studies and animal models to learn how SIRT6 drives tumor growth and resistance to current therapies. They will test small molecules that block SIRT6 and study links with other cancer pathways like NOTCH1 and autophagy. The goal is to find new treatment strategies that could later be tested in people.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with melanoma, especially those with advanced or treatment-resistant disease, would be the eventual candidates for therapies developed from this research.

Not a fit: Patients with unrelated cancers or those seeking immediate clinical treatment should not expect direct benefit because most work is preclinical and done in the lab and animals.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets that slow melanoma growth or overcome treatment resistance.

How similar studies have performed: Preclinical lab and animal data suggest SIRT6 promotes melanoma and that blocking it can slow tumor growth, but benefits in human patients have not yet been shown.

Where this research is happening

Madison, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.