Paul B. Chapman, MD

My overall goal is to develop new and effective treatments for metastatic melanoma. To do this, I — along with my colleagues on the Melanoma and Sarcoma Service — am focusing on several lines of research.

Drugs to Target the Genetic Mutations in Melanoma Cells

We have learned that two biochemical pathways — the MAPK and the AKT pathways — are critical for melanoma survival and that melanoma cells usually have mutations that result in these pathways being stuck in the “on” mode. We are currently conducting clinical trials with new drugs designed to block one or both of these pathways. This is the beginning of personalized medicine, allowing us to select specific drugs based on the genetics of the individual patient's individual.

Better Use of Chemotherapy

It is commonly said that chemotherapy does not work in melanoma, but in fact, it clearly does work in some patients. I am studying which patients respond to chemotherapy so that, in the future, we can predict which patients have melanomas that will respond. Knowing what makes a melanoma sensitive to chemotherapy may teach us how to convert a resistant tumor to a sensitive one.

Immune Attack

We know the immune system is potentially powerful and capable of eliminating foreign tissue efficiently. It has been difficult to harness this power against cancer because the immune systems does not recognize cancer cells as foreign. We are conducting trials with monoclonal antibodies such as ipilimumab to activate the immune system against melanoma. Also, we are working to develop vaccines against melanoma that we hope can be used to direct the patient’s immune system against residual melanoma cells.