Mayo Clinic study has found that 8 million to 10 million Americans over age 40 have an overabundance of cloned white blood cells, or lymphocytes, that hamper their immune systems. Although many who have this condition—called monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis—do not experience any symptoms, a recent study shows they may have an elevated risk for several health complications, including melanoma.
Roger Lo, professor of medicine, dermatology, and molecular and medical pharmacology and investigator at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, was awarded a $2 million grant from NIH to investigate innovative strategies to prevent drug resistance in melanoma treatment and improve the effectiveness of MAPK inhibitors, a common treatment for patients with melanomas that carry the BRAFV600 mutation.
