Uveal melanoma is a cancer (melanoma) of the eye occurring in the uvea (iris, ciliary body, and choroid) and arising from uveal melanocytes (pigment cells). The “UMCure2020” Uveal Melanoma (UM) project aims to develop an effective therapy for the treatment of the metastases of this type of eye cancer. An essential step to achieve this is to increase knowledge about the tumor biology of this rare eye cancer.
PamGene will be instrumental in the clinical translation aspect by providing our innovative and proprietary technology platform. The UMPamChip peptide microarray, specifically developed for the project, will subsequently be applied in clinical trials and could increase the chances of a successful trial through improved patient stratification, and ultimately advance clinical practice of UM treatment and management.
In a first set of patient samples, cell and PDX (patient-derived xenograft) mouse models, PamGene has determined the kinase activity and tested the effectiveness of a selected set of kinase inhibitors. In order to better map the kinase signaling of UM patients, a UM-specific PamChip with an extensive set of phospho-peptides has been developed and successfully tested. In the next phase of this project, besides new patients samples, also new cell models (knockdown and over-expression UM-related genes) and PDX mouse models treated with specific kinase inhibitors will be analyzed.
For more information, email Dianne van den Heuvel
Download our Biomarker Programmes Brochure
