Teaching Skin Cells to Treat Skin Cancer: Focus on Blocking Key Regulator
Posted: Thursday, October 3, 2019
A new study focusing on LSD1 as a key molecular regulator that is overly expressed in many cancers suggests a potential role for LSD1 inhibitors in the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell and basal cell cancers. The study, conducted by Brian C. Capell, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues, was reported in Cell Reports.
“Our study shows that targeting LSD1 can force the skin cells down a differentiation path, which could open the door to new topical therapies that can ultimately turn tumor cells into healthier, more normal cells,” said Dr Capell in a Penn Medicine press release.
Researchers attempted to define the role of LSD1 in the skin and presented evidence that its main function was to maintain epidermal progenitors in the more basal stem cell state through repression of major transcription factors driving epithelial differentiation. Through observation, researchers found that LSD1 inhibition has the potential to treat cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and may work through diverse mechanisms beyond promoting differentiation to prevent cancer progression. These new research findings may provide opportunities for treatment methods that block LSD1, such as a skin cream or other topical therapy.
“Work is already underway to prove the concept can work, which would pave the way for human clinical trials,” accorinding to the researchers. “By knocking out LSD1, we can essentially turn the switch back on that would tell the skin to differentiate in a healthy way,” Dr Capell said.
Disclosure: The study authors’ disclosure information may be found at cell.com.
