Leflunomide, a drug widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is effective in inhibiting the development of melanoma: what is announced on the pages of the journal Nature researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Children’s Hospital in Boston, coordinated by Grant Wheeler and Matt Tomlinson.

As you know, melanoma is a cancer that affects the pigment cells of the skin and is the most aggressive form of cancer among the skin. Unlike other cancers, its incidence is increasing. If diagnosed early, the tumor is surgically removed safely, but if it has already given rise to metastases, the prognosis is often poor.

The two researchers conducted a rigorous screening on thousands of compounds in search of those active on pigment cells of tadpole, coming to the identification of a limited set of substances. Finally, attention has focused on leflunomide, which has subsequently been shown to induce a significant inhibition of tumor development in mice. In particular, the efficacy was increased to almost total blockade of tumor growth, when the drug was administered in combination with PLX4720, a promising new therapy for melanoma currently being trial trials.

The prospect is now starting clinical trials for the treatment of melanoma with leflunomide with a faster procedure, since the drug is already approved for the treatment of arthritis.

“This is a really exciting discovery,” said Grant Wheeler, of the biology faculty of the WEU. “Deaths from melanoma are increasing and there is a desperate need for new and more effective treatments. Now we are very optimistic about this new option presents itself.