A VA research team in Madison, Wisconsin, has identified a protein that plays a central role in driving melanoma growth, finding that genetically silencing it dramatically slows how quickly the cancer spreads and survives. The findings, published in the journal Cancers in February 2026, open a potentially new treatment pathway for one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of skin cancer — and one that carries specific relevance for veterans.
Melanoma is a presumptive condition under the PACT Act for veterans with qualifying toxic exposure during military service. That means the VA assumes the cancer is connected to service, which simplifies the disability claims process — but it does not change the fact that melanoma is difficult to treat, particularly when the cancer has spread or developed resistance to current therapies. Better treatment options directly serve the veteran population carrying this diagnosis.
What the Research Found
Researchers at the William S. Middleton VA Medical Center in Madison and the Medical College of Wisconsin led the study. Their focus was a protein called SIRT6, a member of the sirtuin family of enzymes that regulates DNA repair, cell metabolism and chromatin structure. Previous research from the same team had already established that SIRT6 is found at abnormally high levels in melanoma cells compared to healthy skin cells — suggesting it plays a meaningful role in how the cancer behaves.
The new study used two genetic techniques — CRISPR/Cas9 editing and a method called short hairpin RNA interference — to knock down SIRT6 expression in human melanoma cell lines.
The results were clear. Reducing SIRT6 significantly slowed cancer cell growth and reduced the cancer cells’ ability to survive. Using RNA sequencing, proteomics and pathway analysis, the researchers mapped what was happening downstream: Lowering SIRT6 turned off molecular signals that promote cell growth and movement while at the same time switching on pathways associated with cancer cell death.
“Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that can spread quickly if not treated early,” according to the team’s article “Mechanisms of the Antiproliferative Effects of SIRT6 Inhibition in Melanoma: A Multi-Omics Analysis,” published Feb. 11, 2026, in the journal Cancers. “While new treatments have improved survival, many patients still develop resistance or relapse. This highlights the need to find new targets for more effective treatment outcomes.”
The researchers concluded that SIRT6 plays a key role in melanoma progression and could be an important target for developing new treatments. The study represents the latest in a series of SIRT6-focused melanoma research from the Madison VA team, which has been investigating the protein’s role in skin cancer for several years.
Why This Matters for Veterans
Melanoma is a presumptive condition under the PACT Act, meaning the VA will assume that the condition is service-connected if the veteran served in a certain place at a certain time. As of 2026:
- All melanomas qualify for presumptive service connection under the PACT Act, regardless of location on the body.
- Mucosal melanomas — those originating in tissues lining internal areas of the body — are also covered.
- Melanomas of the eye, including choroidal, conjunctival and iris melanoma, are covered.
- Veterans with qualifying burn pit, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune water contamination, or other toxic exposure are eligible.
- Skin cancer cases often receive a 100% disability rating during active treatment, worth $3,938.58 monthly in 2026
- Even after successful treatment, many veterans maintain significant ratings for ongoing monitoring and recurrence risk.
- Veterans can file a claim at VA.gov or call 800-698-2411 to begin the process.
Read More: PACT Act Presumptive Conditions
The connection between melanoma and military service runs through several documented exposure pathways. Veterans who served in outdoor environments with sustained ultraviolet radiation exposure — particularly in desert theaters across Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf — faced elevated skin cancer risk.
Burn pit smoke and the chemical compounds it contains have also been linked to a range of cancers, including skin malignancies. Agent Orange exposure connects Vietnam veterans to a range of cancers now recognized under the PACT Act, including melanoma. Camp Lejeune water contamination represents another exposure pathway for veterans who served at or near that installation between 1953 and 1987.
For veterans already diagnosed with melanoma, the treatment landscape has improved significantly over the past decade. Targeted therapies and immunotherapies have extended survival rates for many patients. But drug resistance remains a serious and common problem, particularly in metastatic cases. That is precisely the gap the SIRT6 research is attempting to address: a new molecular target that could eventually form the basis of a therapy that works in cases where existing options have failed.
What Comes Next
The February 2026 study was a laboratory-based investigation using human melanoma cell lines rather than a clinical trial. That means SIRT6-targeted treatments are not available to patients today and likely remain years away from clinical application. The immediate value of the research is in establishing the scientific basis for SIRT6 as a valid target — the necessary foundation before drug development can begin in earnest.
Read More: These Are the Wait Times for VA Claim, Benefits Processing in 2026
The Madison VA team’s body of work on SIRT6 now spans multiple published studies examining the protein’s role across different cancer types and cell environments. The 2026 multi-omics analysis added a deeper mechanistic understanding of how SIRT6 inhibition affects melanoma — using three layers of analysis simultaneously, RNA sequencing, proteomics and pathway analysis to build a more complete picture of the downstream effects. That level of mechanistic detail is what drug developers need to design compounds that target the protein effectively and safely.
VA research identified the shingles vaccine’s protective effects against dementia, developed the nicotine patch, and contributed to the first liver transplant and implantable cardiac pacemaker. The SIRT6 melanoma findings are early-stage, but they come from an institution with a track record of turning laboratory discoveries into therapies that reach patients.
Lowering Skin Cancer Recurrence With Vitamin B3
A separate VA study, published in September 2025, found that nicotinamide, an over-the-counter form of vitamin B3, reduced overall skin cancer recurrence by 14% to 54% when started after a first skin cancer diagnosis. Tennessee Valley VA and Vanderbilt University researchers tracked more than 34,000 veterans diagnosed with skin cancer, roughly half of whom received 500 milligrams of nicotinamide twice daily. The finding is notable for veterans at elevated skin cancer risk — particularly those with toxic exposure histories — because it involves a widely available supplement rather than a prescription treatment.
Veterans should consult their VA provider before starting any supplement, particularly veterans with existing conditions or taking other medications.
Veterans with questions about melanoma, PACT Act eligibility, or skin cancer screening can contact their VA primary care provider or visit VA.gov/PACT to learn more about toxic exposure benefits.
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