Science Signaling Podcast: 29 January 2013

Friedegund Meier¹ and Annalisa M. VanHook²

¹ Division of Dermatologic Oncology, Department of Dermatology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
² Web Editor, Science Signaling, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA.

Abstract: This Podcast features an interview with Friedegund Meier, senior author of a Research Article that appears in the 29 January 2013 issue of Science Signaling. Beck et al. focuses on the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in tumor cell killing by the drug vemurafenib. Vemurafenib is an effective therapy for melanomas that harbor a particular mutant form of the kinase BRAF, but melanomas often develop resistance to the drug, thus reducing its efficacy. The authors found that, in addition to inhibiting survival signaling mediated by the kinase ERK, vemurafenib also triggered apoptosis by inducing ER stress. Treating vemurafenib-resistant melanoma cells with an ER stress inducer in combination with vemurafenib improved cell killing, suggesting that this might be an effective combined therapy for treating melanoma.

The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:

In Science Signaling

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Cancer
Vemurafenib Potently Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress–Mediated Apoptosis in BRAFV600E Melanoma Cells

Daniela Beck, Heike Niessner, Keiran S. M. Smalley, Keith Flaherty, Kim H. T. Paraiso, Christian Busch, Tobias Sinnberg, Sophie Vasseur, Juan Lucio Iovanna, Stefan Drießen, Björn Stork, Sebastian Wesselborg, Martin Schaller, Tilo Biedermann, Jürgen Bauer, Konstantinos Lasithiotakis, Benjamin Weide, Jürgen Eberle, Birgit Schittek, Dirk Schadendorf, Claus Garbe, Dagmar Kulms, and Friedegund Meier (29 January 2013)
Sci. Signal. 6 (260), ra7. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2003057]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »

PERSPECTIVES
Cancer
The Response of Cancers to BRAF Inhibition Underscores the Importance of Cancer Systems Biology

Edward C. Stites (16 October 2012)
Sci. Signal. 5 (246), pe46. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2003354]
 |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »

RESEARCH RESOURCES
Cancer
MicroSCALE Screening Reveals Genetic Modifiers of Therapeutic Response in Melanoma

Kris C. Wood, David J. Konieczkowski, Cory M. Johannessen, Jesse S. Boehm, Pablo Tamayo, Olga B. Botvinnik, Jill P. Mesirov, William C. Hahn, David E. Root, Levi A. Garraway, and David M. Sabatini (15 May 2012)
Sci. Signal. 5 (224), rs4. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002612]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »

PODCASTS
Cancer
Science Signaling Podcast: 10 January 2012

Travis L. Biechele, Andy J. Chien, Randall T. Moon, and Annalisa M. VanHook (10 January 2012)
Sci. Signal. 5 (206), pc1. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002784]
 |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  Podcast »

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Cancer
Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and AXIN1 Regulate Apoptosis Triggered by Inhibition of the Mutant Kinase BRAF^V600E in Human Melanoma

Travis L. Biechele, Rima M. Kulikauskas, Rachel A. Toroni, Olivia M. Lucero, Reyna D. Swift, Richard G. James, Nick C. Robin, David W. Dawson, Randall T. Moon, and Andy J. Chien (10 January 2012)
Sci. Signal. 5 (206), ra3. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002274]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Cancer
BRAF Gene Amplification Can Promote Acquired Resistance to MEK Inhibitors in Cancer Cells Harboring the BRAF V600E Mutation

Ryan B. Corcoran, Dora Dias-Santagata, Kristin Bergethon, A. John Iafrate, Jeffrey Settleman, and Jeffrey A. Engelman (23 November 2010)
Sci. Signal. 3 (149), ra84. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2001148]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »