Scientists think they might be on the verge of a melanoma breakthrough that could save the lives of thousands of people. 9News
researchers are working to develop a new treatment that would aim to wipe out dangerous cancer cells with a simple injection.Melanoma patient Ian Dempster hoped emergency surgery would be the quick fix.
Over the following eight years, the Adelaide grandfather required nearly every treatment imaginable, from radiotherapy to dozens of drug infusions and more disfiguring surgery.But it's hoped a University of South Australia laboratory can make treatment for patients like Dempster a lot less painful and a lot more effective.
Prof Claudine Bonder, said researchers have discovered that the most aggressive melanoma cells contain a protein known as DESMOGLEIN-2.Professor Claudine Bonder from the University of South Australia described how it works. "And the beauty is it's not just confined to melanoma. So advances that we make here will also be important for other cancer types."