Tumors need two things to thrive: a good blood supply and a way to keep the immune system at bay. Scientists have discovered the protein that helps skin cancer achieve both, and proved that disabling it shrinks tumors and reactivates the immune system.

The molecule, known as the transcription factor HOXD13, helps control gene activity and is vital to the growth and survival of melanomas. The protein is critical for growing new blood vessels to supply the tumor with oxygen and nutrients. It also helps keep immune T cells from entering the tumor to do battle.

“Our study provides new evidence that transcription factor HOXD13 is a potent driver of melanoma growth and that it suppresses the T cell activity needed to fight the disease,” study lead investigator Pietro Berico, of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Sciencedaily.com.

When Berico’s team blocked the activity of the protein, more T cells were able to enter the tumor. Some studies suggest that combining this kind of therapy with immunotherapy to boost the immune response could reverse one of the most aggressive cancers.

The skin is the body’s largest organ, protecting against heat, sunlight, injury and infection, the National Institutes of Health website states. Skin also helps regulate heat and stores water, fat and Vitamin D. Skin cancer affects one in five Americans by age 70, and getting 5 or more sunburns doubles an individual’s risk for skin cancer. However, when detected early, 99% of patients survive to the 5-year mark, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. It can be fatal if not caught early, however, and melanomas — that affect the skin cells containing pigments — can be the most aggressive and lethal, spreading quickly to other organs if not caught.

The NYU study, supported by NIH grants and foundation sources, was published in February in Cancer Discovery.

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