Protein found to suppress skin cancer

HOUSTON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've determined the protein IKKalpha suppresses skin cancer development.

"We have shown that IKKα acts as a sentry, monitoring and, when necessary, halting proliferation of these important (squamous) cells, said University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Assistant Professor Yinling Hu, the study's senior author.

Squamous cells are primary cell types that cover internal and external surfaces of the body.

"In the first mouse model of its kind, we also found deleting IKKα spontaneously induced squamous cell carcinomas by activating the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway," said Hu, "These results provide new therapeutic targets for prevention of skin cancer."

The researchers said downregulation of IKKα has been noted in a variety of human squamous cell carcinomas, but the protein's role in maintaining skin homeostasis, or stability, had remained unclear because an appropriate mouse model wasn't available.

To solve that problem, Bigang Liu, the study's first author, and colleagues generated mice with IKKα deletions in their keratinocytes.

"This study has revealed the importance of IKKα in maintaining skin homeostasis and in preventing skin cancer, as well as the mechanism of how IKKα acts in these processes," Hu said.

The research appears in the journal Cancer Cell.