Lay summary
Malignant melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that requires new therapies. Using a sensitive new technique we observed that melanoma cells have higher levels of oxidative stress than other cancer cells. We propose that this will make them vulnerable to additional oxidative stress. We will undertake a comprehensive assessment of a large panel of melanoma cells isolated from New Zealand patients, and fresh melanoma samples excised during surgery. We will explore the role of genetic and environmental factors in promoting oxidative stress in melanoma, and then test the ability of melanoma cells to cope with compounds that interfere with cellular antioxidant systems. These compounds will be tested alone and in combination with existing melanoma drugs. We will also determine if an enzyme produced at high levels by invasive melanoma cells can be exploited to trigger a form of cell death that helps the immune system target the tumour.