Moffitt Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University Receive $2.8 Million to Advance Acral Melanoma Research
TAMPA, Fla., and PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 10, 2026) — Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and Thomas Jefferson University have received $2.8 million in federal funding to investigate new treatment strategies for acral melanoma, a rare form of melanoma that develops on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and beneath the nails.
The collaborative project, “Identification and Evaluation of Immune and Targeted Therapies for Acral Melanoma,” is supported through the Focused Program Award for Rare Melanomas.
The research is led by Keiran Smalley, Ph.D., director of the Donald A. Adam Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center of Excellence at Moffitt, with Andrew E. Aplin, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University serving as collaborating principal investigator.
Unlike more common forms of melanoma, acral melanoma is not strongly associated with ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure. It also has distinct biological characteristics that can make it more difficult to treat. The collaborative research effort will seek to better understand the disease and identify potential new therapeutic approaches.
“Acral melanoma is a rare subtype of melanoma that lacks effective therapeutic strategies,” Smalley said. “Through this collaboration, we hope to better understand the biology that allows these tumors to evade the immune system and use those insights to identify new treatment strategies that could ultimately improve outcomes for patients.”
The researchers will focus on three major areas. First, they will characterize the immune microenvironment surrounding acral melanoma tumors to better understand how the cancer may suppress the body's immune response. They will then evaluate a form of cellular immunotherapy known as B7-H3 CAR T-cell therapy, both on its own and in combination with inhibition of TEAD, a family of proteins involved in regulating cancer cell growth. Finally, the team will work to identify additional targets that could potentially be used to develop new T-cell therapies for acral melanoma.
By combining expertise from Moffitt and Thomas Jefferson University, the researchers hope to uncover vulnerabilities in acral melanoma that could ultimately lead to more effective treatment strategies for patients.
“The work between our two groups is highly complementary and will generate important new insights into the cell signaling and immune-mediated mechanisms of therapy escape that would not be possible if each project were attempted independently,” Aplin said.
The four-year project is scheduled to begin Sept. 1, 2026, and continue through Aug. 31, 2030.
The award is supported by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs' Melanoma Research Program.
About Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 58 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt’s expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet status, its highest distinction. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Jefferson
Jefferson is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. More than 65,000 people strong, Jefferson is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, the College of Business, the College of Fashion & Textiles, and the College of Architecture, Design & Engineering, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 11 colleges and one school offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,700 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit healthcare systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 33 hospital campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans, through Health Partners Plans Inc., is a not-for-profit managed healthcare organization offering a broad range of health coverage options to more than 370,000 members for more than 40 years.
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