Prashanthi Dharanipragada, a postdoctoral researcher in the division of dermatology at UCLA Health, has received the career development award from Melanoma Research Foundation to study how melanoma, a deadly type of skin cancer, evolves and becomes more aggressive.
The two-year, $100,000 award supports Dharanipragada’s research studying how sudden, large-scale changes in the DNA of melanoma cells drive the cancer's evolution, making it more resistant to treatment and harder to control.
Traditionally, cancer was thought to develop slowly through small mutational changes in DNA, but recent studies suggest that melanoma can experience sudden, large-scale changes in its DNA, which helps it evolve faster and become more resistant to treatment.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Roger Lo, professor of medicine, dermatology and molecular & medical pharmacology and investigator at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dharanipragada will study these larger events —known as complex genomic rearrangements or chromothripsis— and how they contribute to the growth and spread of melanoma.
"Understanding these chaotic DNA changes is crucial for developing new strategies to combat melanoma," said Dharanipragada. "Our research aims to uncover the mechanisms that allow melanoma cells to survive and thrive after these events, which could lead to better treatment options for patients."
The team will analyze DNA samples from over 100 patients with melanoma, comparing the genetic material from primary tumors, metastatic tumors and normal tissues. By studying these samples, they hope to identify patterns in how melanoma evolves and spreads, as well as potential biomarkers that could help predict the progression of the disease.
