Use of Protein Kinase C Delta Inhibitor, Specifically Rottlerin, Alone or in Further Combination with Staurosporine, in the Treatment of Metastatic Epithelioid Melanoma
Description of Invention:
This invention is directed to the use of a protein kinase C delta inhibitor, specifically rottlerin, alone or in further combination with staurosporine, in the treatment of metastatic epithelioid melanoma. Preliminary studies show that treatment of cells from a metastasized human epithelioid melanoma with rottlerin reduced cellular proliferation by 90%, without affecting proliferation or morphology of normal melanocytes. Cells from the matched primary site tumor of the same patient were not affected by this inhibitor, nor were cells from a matched tumor pair of fibroblastoid morphology obtained from a second patient. Treatment of cells from a metastasized human epithelioid melanoma with staurosporine caused an increase in branching and in the number of processes in the melanoma cells, without affecting cell number. These staurosporine-induced changes may be indicative of differentiation.
