News
L’Oréal Paris USA-MRA Team Scientists shed light on how melanoma spreads
By Kristen Mueller, PhD | 29 August 2017 In Allies & Partnerships, Science, Treatment
MRA is extremely proud of the 289 investigators we have funded over the last decade and the exciting advances they have made toward ending suffering and death due to melanoma. While we can never highlight all of them at one time, we’re excited in this blog to highlight the work of the L’Oreal Paris USA sponsored MRA Team award.
Why so much excitement about CAR-T cells?
By Kristen Mueller, PhD | 18 July 2017 In News, Science, Treatment
July 12, 2017, marked a historic day for medicine and for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when an expert advisory committee to the FDA unanimously endorsed the first ever genetically engineered, cell-based therapy for use in patients.
Melanoma Treatments: Breakthroughs for Multiple Cancers — for Real and Right Now
10 July 2017 In Science, Treatment
While 2014 and 2015 offered a whirlwind of good news related to new melanoma treatments from immune to targeted therapy, since then, it’s been a bit quieter in melanoma. Although there has been exceptional news in regard to other cancers. Why is that, and what are the latest breakthroughs?
Sunscreen Laws may Hinder Protecting Children from Exposure
By Pamela Goldsmith, MRA Director of Communications | 10 July 2017 In News, Policy, Prevention
With the launch of summer comes conventional discussion around ranking sunscreens, and chatter between the experts to parse what should be considered in choosing the most effective among them. It’s also a key conversation among parents heading into the season with an eye on protecting their children from sun exposure. Yet, something remaining a central concern among those parents is the public policy surrounding use of sunscreen in schools.
Melanoma Research Alliance and the American Cancer Society Forge Research Partnership to Maximize Immunotherapy Benefit to Patients
By Pamela Goldsmith, MRA Director of Communications | 10 July 2017 In Allies & Partnerships, Science
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) are partnering to fund much-needed research aimed at decreasing rare, but serious, side effects associated with checkpoint inhibitors in hopes of increasing further cancer immunotherapy benefit to patients.
Invincible, Until You’re Not
By Pamela Goldsmith, MRA Director of Communications | 6 June 2017 In Melanoma Stories, Prevention, Treatment
Self described, lifetime sun worshiper and tanning bed devotee, 24-year old native Texan Ali Young was barely daunted the first time she was diagnosed with deadly skin cancer at the age of 18. Matter of fact, she recalls heading to the tanning bed the very day after her biopsy.
The Genetics of Melanoma Goes Deep
By Kristen Mueller, PhD | 6 June 2017 In News, Science, Treatment
Due to the rapid advancements in DNA sequencing technologies, our understanding of the underlying genetic causes of cancer has increased substantially in the past decade. In the case of melanoma, researchers have now characterized in great detail the genetic changes that occur within tumor cells in melanoma of the skin, leading to the FDA approval of drugs targeting mutations in BRAF and MEK.
LFFM Fundraising Event Again Reaches a Record Setting Year
By Pamela Goldsmith, MRA Director of Communications | 6 June 2017 In Allies & Partnerships, Events
Nearly 1,000 professionals from the leveraged finance community gathered for the sixth annual Leveraged Finance Fights Melanoma (LFFM) benefit and cocktail party raising a record $1.8 million in funds for the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the largest private funder of melanoma research.
What Gut Bacteria Tell Us About Treating Melanoma and Other Cancers
By Pamela Goldsmith, MRA Director of Communications | 3 April 2017 In News, Science, Treatment
Despite success in the use of immunotherapy to treat cancer by harnessing the body’s immune system to fight it, a major difficulty continues to be the range of responses to treatment among patients. It’s why researchers are exploring why some cancer patients exhibit astounding results with little side effects while others receive no benefits to the treatment and/or experience severe side effects.
MRA and BJ’s Wholesale Club Partner to Launch May Campaign
By Pamela Goldsmith, MRA Director of Communications | 3 April 2017 In Allies & Partnerships, Prevention
In today’s dynamic research environment, working as a team is more valuable than ever. This May, in an effort to spotlight Melanoma Awareness month, BJ’s Wholesale Club, a warehouse club operating in 15 states and headquartered in Massachusetts, will launch its first awareness campaign in partnership with MRA to highlight the importance of prevention.