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Targeting Oncogenic Gαq/11 In Uveal Melanoma, Dominic Lapadula, Jeffrey L Benovic

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Uveal melanoma is the most common intraocular cancer in adults and arises from the transformation of melanocytes in the uveal tract. While treatment of the primary tumor is often effective, 36–50% of patients develop metastatic disease primarily to the liver. While various strategies have been used to treat the metastatic disease, there remain no effective treatments that improve survival. Significant insight has been gained into the pathways that are altered in uveal melanoma, with mutually exclusive activating mutations in the GNAQ and GNA11 genes being found in over 90% of patients. These genes encode the alpha subunits of the hetetrotrimeric …