Targeting two key proteins to improve melanoma treatment
Official title: Combined inhibition of PLK1 and NOTCH for melanoma management
Funded at Wm S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hosp · NIH-11098414 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how blocking two specific proteins can help fight melanoma and make treatments work better, so patients can have more effective options for managing their condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wm S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hosp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005917-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11098414 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with melanoma, particularly those who have not responded well to existing therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-melanoma skin cancers or those who have already achieved a durable response to current melanoma treatments may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the combined inhibition of two proteins, PLK1 and NOTCH, to combat melanoma progression and drug resistance. By using human-relevant melanoma mouse models, the study aims to uncover new signaling mechanisms that influence how melanoma responds to treatment. The goal is to develop a more effective therapeutic strategy that overcomes the limitations of current melanoma treatments, which often fail to provide lasting results. Patients may benefit from insights gained into how these proteins interact and affect tumor growth.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for melanoma, potentially improving patient outcomes and survival rates.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of targeting PLK1 and NOTCH is innovative, similar combinatorial strategies in cancer treatment have shown promise in other studies, indicating potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Wm S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hosp
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ahmad, Nihal — Wm S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hosp
- Study coordinator: Ahmad, Nihal
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Melanoma vaccine built from tiny spherical nucleic acids
A new kind of cancer vaccine using tiny spherical nucleic acids to help the immune system fight advanced melanoma.
-
Injecting immune-boosting medicine into melanoma tumors to help the immune system reject them
This gives an immune-boosting drug directly into melanoma tumors in pet dogs to help their T cells find and destroy the cancer.
-
SIRT6 and melanoma growth and spread
Researchers are seeing if blocking a protein called SIRT6 can help stop melanoma from growing and spreading in people with melanoma.
-
How tumor cell stress and nearby support cells help melanoma spread
This project looks at whether blocking a tumor cell stress response and changing how nearby support cells behave might keep melanoma cells from surviving, spreading, and resisting treatment.
-
PLK4 as a potential drug target in melanoma
Researchers are exploring whether blocking PLK4 could be a new way to treat melanoma and how PLK4 works with other melanoma-driving pathways.
-
A new lentivector to deliver multiple TCRs for melanoma cell therapy
A new gene-delivery approach aims to boost T cell receptors inside patients’ own cells to treat advanced melanoma.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.