Overactivity of a key enzyme found in skin cancer cells appears to play a prominent role in triggering the aggressive spread of the disease, a new study suggests.The enzyme -- known as focal adhesion kinase (FAK) -- is present in every cell of the human body, and is critical to the healthy promotion of many cellular activities.However, this enzyme’s unhelpful behavior within malignant melanoma cells is now gaining scientific attention.The researchers noted that the FAK enzyme has previously been found to be overactive across a wide range of aggressive malignancies, including eye, prostate, thyroid, colorectal, ovarian and oral cancers.The current work raises the hope that a better understanding of FAK’s role may ultimately lead to the development of new early stage treatments that hone in on the enzyme and halt its ability to promote the migration of malignant cells throughout the body.Such metastasizing of a localized and curable cancer can make melanoma much more difficult to treat and control -- even leading to an otherwise preventable death, the study authors said.
