Review
Cell Biology
Paola Falletta, Colin R. Goding, Yurena Vivas-Garcia
Summary: Melanoma is a complex and aggressive cancer type with different cell subpopulations displaying distinct phenotypes within the tumor. These subpopulations undergo metabolic reprogramming, allowing them to adapt to changing environments and mutations. Different metabolic profiles are associated with specific phenotypes, enabling adaptation to hostile conditions and promoting invasion and metastasis.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Pablo Lopez-Bergami
Summary: ROR2 plays a dual role in cancer, with contradictory effects on cell proliferation and migration. In melanoma, it impairs cell proliferation while promoting migration, EMT, and chemoresistance. It is proposed to be a major driver of phenotype switching in melanoma, providing therapeutic opportunities for targeting invasive and drug-resistant phenotypes.
CANCER CELL INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Monteiro-Reis, Vera Miranda-Goncalves, Catarina Guimaraes-Teixeira, Claudia Martins-Lima, Joao Lobo, Diana Montezuma, Paula C. Dias, Helene Neyret-Kahn, Isabelle Bernard-Pierrot, Rui Henrique, Carmen Jeronimo
Summary: In this study, we found that the VIM promoter is epigenetically regulated in normal and neoplastic urothelium, leading to a switch in VIM expression associated with EMT and the acquisition of invasive and metastatic properties. These findings might contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for bladder cancer based on epigenetics.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Chiara Pagliuca, Luca Di Leo, Daniela De Zio
Summary: Late-stage melanoma frequently acquires resistance to standard therapies due to its plasticity in switching among different differentiation phenotypes. Understanding the origin and markers of this plasticity in melanoma can provide insights into developing new strategies to overcome treatment resistance.
Review
Cell Biology
Marine Melixetian, Pier Giuseppe Pelicci, Luisa Lanfrancone
Summary: Long non-coding RNAs play crucial roles in melanoma growth and spreading, and can be used as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and patient prognosis.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Greg Shelley, Jinlu Dai, Jill M. Keller, Evan T. Keller
Summary: This study utilized a modified SELEX method, Pheno-SELEX, to design anti-metastatic aptamers targeting cancer invasion phenotype. The anti-invasive aptamer (AIA1) was found to inhibit invasion of prostate cancer and osteosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo, establishing a new paradigm for functional aptamer identification.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paula Colon-Bolea, Rocio Garcia-Gomez, Berta Casar
Summary: Metastasis is a complicated process in which cancer cells escape from the primary tumor and spread to distant organs. RAC1, a member of the RHO family, plays a crucial role in cancer migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Targeting RAC1 is seen as a promising strategy for treating metastatic cutaneous melanoma.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Margaux Sala, Nathalie Allain, Melanie Moreau, Arnaud Jabouille, Elodie Henriet, Aya Abou-Hammoud, Arnaud Uguen, Sylvaine Di-Tommaso, Cyril Dourthe, Anne-Aurelie Raymond, Jean-William Dupuy, Emilie Gerard, Nathalie Dugot-Senant, Benoit Rousseau, Jean-Phillipe Merlio, Anne Pham-Ledart, Beatrice Vergier, Sophie Tartare-Deckert, Violaine Moreau, Frederic Saltel
Summary: Combined therapy with anti-BRAF plus anti-MEK is the first-line treatment for metastatic melanomas. However, tumor cell resistance is a major issue. This study shows that DDR2 inhibition can reduce AXL expression and stress fiber formation in resistant melanoma cells. Furthermore, DDR2 inhibition can control cell and tumor proliferation through the MAP kinase pathway.
Article
Cell Biology
Silvia Muccioli, Valentina Brillo, Tatiana Varanita, Federica Rossin, Elisabetta Zaltron, Angelo Velle, Giorgia Alessio, Beatrice Angi, Filippo Severin, Anna Tosi, Manuela D'Eletto, Luca Occhigrossi, Laura Falasca, Vanessa Checchetto, Roberto Ciaccio, Amelia Fasci, Leonardo Chieregato, Ana Paula Rebelo, Marta Giacomello, Antonio Rosato, Ildiko Szabo, Chiara Romualdi, Mauro Piacentini, Luigi Leanza
Summary: This article investigates the plasticity of melanoma and the role of Transglutaminase Type-2 (TG2) in regulating melanoma formation and invasiveness. The results suggest that TG2 expression can affect melanoma invasiveness and may contribute to unraveling the vulnerabilities of melanoma.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shuai Liu, Yusi Fan, Kewei Li, Haotian Zhang, Xi Wang, Ruofei Ju, Lan Huang, Meiyu Duan, Fengfeng Zhou
Summary: This study aimed to predict metastatic melanoma by integrating multimodal data. The proposed method achieved high prediction accuracy and highlighted the importance of integrating multiple data modalities.
Article
Oncology
Arnaud Carrier, Cecile Desjobert, Valerie Lobjois, Lise Rigal, Florence Busato, Jorg Tost, Miquel Ensenyat-Mendez, Diego M. Marzese, Anne Pradines, Gilles Favre, Laurence Lamant, Luisa Lanfrancone, Chantal Etievant, Paola B. Arimondo, Joelle Riond
Summary: Protocadherin proteins play an important role in cell adhesion and signaling pathways. The study found that the PCDHB15 gene's specific exon is hypermethylated in melanoma, leading to its silencing. This silencing contributes to the aggressiveness of melanoma.
CLINICAL EPIGENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wojciech M. Ciszewski, Malgorzata Chmielewska-Kassassir, Lucyna A. Wozniak, Katarzyna Sobierajska
Summary: This study found a close correlation between TYMS and invasion ability in colon cancer cells, as well as its crucial role in EMT regulation. It suggests that chemotherapeutics targeting TYMS expression may enhance the effectiveness of colon cancer treatment, especially in the metastatic stage.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sultana Mehbuba Hossain, Michael R. Eccles
Summary: Melanoma, a highly heterogeneous tumor, can dynamically shift between different transcriptional states or phenotypes in a process known as phenotype switching. This switch involves changes in cell cycle states, invasiveness, signaling pathways, and immune cell composition. Melanoma cell plasticity is driven by gene expression changes in immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and alterations in the extracellular matrix, which contribute to metastasis and therapy resistance. This review highlights recent findings on melanoma phenotype switching, immunotherapy resistance, and the role of neural crest-like states in melanoma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suyang Huang, Shanshan Lyu, Zhe Gao, Weifeng Zha, Ping Wang, Yunyun Shan, Jianzhong He, Yang Li
Summary: By analyzing TCGA and CCLE datasets, 1,086 common m6A-related lncRNAs were identified, with 130 being independent prognostic factors. A model named m6A-LncM comprising of 24 crucial lncRNAs was constructed and shown to be associated with overall survival. Enrichment analysis revealed the immune-related functions of these lncRNAs, suggesting their potential as prognostic biomarkers for metastatic SKCM.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Na-Kyung Lee, Jae-Won Lee, Jeong-Hwa Woo, Youn Seok Choi, Jung-Hye Choi
Summary: This study identified key genes involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and found that SPI1 plays an important role in regulating these genes. These findings may serve as potential prognostic and therapeutic factors for endometriosis.
ARCHIVES OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lorissa I. McDougall, Ryan M. Powell, Magdalena Ratajska, Chi F. Lynch-Sutherland, Sultana Mehbuba Hossain, George A. R. Wiggins, Agnieszka Harazin-Lechowska, Bozena Cybulska-Stopa, Jyoti Motwani, Erin C. Macaulay, Glen Reid, Logan C. Walker, Janusz Rys, Michael R. Eccles
Summary: The study identified multiple BARD1 mRNA variants in melanoma, including several previously characterized isoforms and four novel splice events. Long-range nanopore sequencing was found to be more accurate in predicting isoforms with multiple non-contiguous splicing events compared to short-read RNA-Seq analysis. Further investigation into the functional significance of these identified BARD1 splice variants in melanoma is warranted.
Article
Developmental Biology
Suzan N. Almomani, Abdulmonem A. Alsaleh, Robert J. Weeks, Aniruddha Chatterjee, Robert C. Day, Izumi Honda, Hidekazu Homma, Ryuji Fukuzawa, Tania L. Slatter, Noelyn A. Hung, Celia Devenish, Ian M. Morison, Erin C. Macaulay
Summary: This study identified consistent differential methylation in CMIP gene in pre-eclampsia, suggesting its potential as diagnostic biomarkers for this dangerous conditions of pregnancy. Targeted deep bisulfite sequencing confirmed two DMPs in CMIP gene, indicating its association with the pathogenesis of PE. Further studies are needed to explore the implications of these findings in understanding and managing pre-eclampsia.
Review
Oncology
Francesco Mainini, Francesca De Santis, Giovanni Fuca, Massimo Di Nicola, Licia Rivoltini, Michael Eccles
Summary: Conventional anti-cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation often have harmful side effects and limited curative effects. Recently, novel treatments like immunotherapy have gained attention for their ability to stimulate the host immune system to fight cancer. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems can enhance drug delivery to tumor sites and work synergistically with other therapies to improve treatment outcomes.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah A. Bowden, Euan J. Rodger, Aniruddha Chatterjee, Michael R. Eccles, Cherie Stayner
Summary: ADPKD is a heritable renal disease caused by uncontrolled cyst growth in the kidneys, leading to end-stage kidney disease, with limited therapeutic options available. Due to similarities with neoplasia, research suggests that ADPKD kidneys may have alterations in their epigenetic landscape.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Farzana Ahmed, Hsin-Yi Tseng, Antonio Ahn, Dilini Gunatilake, Sara Alavi, Michael Eccles, Helen Rizos, Stuart J. Gallagher, Jessamy C. Tiffen, Peter Hersey, Abdullah Al Emran
Summary: This study explores the resistance of melanoma to chemotherapy and suggests that melanoma with an inflammatory undifferentiated state may be susceptible to combination therapy. The study also investigates the variation in inflammasomes and death mechanisms in different melanoma, and raises the possibility of using the inflammatory state as biomarkers for inflammasome-targeted therapy.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jyoti Motwani, Michael R. Eccles
Summary: Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer accounting for 80% of skin cancer deaths. Recent studies suggest that phenotype switching, rather than genetic alterations, plays a key role in melanoma invasiveness. The review discusses mutational, transcriptional, and epigenomic alterations contributing to tumour heterogeneity in melanoma, as well as three proposed models for explaining tumour progression.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martina Paumann-Page, Nikolaus F. Kienzl, Jyoti Motwani, Boushra Bathish, Louise N. Paton, Nicholas J. Magon, Benjamin Sevcnikar, Paul G. Furtmueller, Michael W. Traxlmayr, Christian Obinger, Mike R. Eccles, Christine C. Winterbourn
Summary: Peroxidasin, a heme peroxidase, is upregulated in invasive melanoma cell lines and its activity in forming sulfilimine bonds contributes to cell invasion.
Article
Oncology
Jim Smith, Rakesh Banerjee, Reema Waly, Arthur Urbano, Gregory Gimenez, Robert Day, Michael R. Eccles, Robert J. Weeks, Aniruddha Chatterjee
Summary: DNA methylation is a crucial epigenetic modification involved in the pathogenesis of various human diseases, particularly cancer development and metastasis. Changes in gene promoter methylation are commonly associated with transcriptional dysregulation and disease progression. The emergence of CRISPR-based technologies has enabled precise editing of the epigenome at specific loci.
Article
Oncology
Sai Shyam Vasantharajan, Edward Barnett, Elin S. Gray, John L. McCall, Euan J. Rodger, Michael R. Eccles, Fran Munro, Sharon Pattison, Aniruddha Chatterjee
Summary: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are metastatic seeds originating from solid tumors. Understanding CTC biology is essential for clinical diagnosis and therapy development. Current FDA-approved CTC enrichment methods have limitations, leading to interest in simpler size-based methods like MetaCell. MetaCell showed high recovery rates and purity in enriching CRC cells, demonstrating its potential for detecting CTCs in CRC patients.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sultana Mehbuba Hossain, Michael R. Eccles
Summary: Melanoma, a highly heterogeneous tumor, can dynamically shift between different transcriptional states or phenotypes in a process known as phenotype switching. This switch involves changes in cell cycle states, invasiveness, signaling pathways, and immune cell composition. Melanoma cell plasticity is driven by gene expression changes in immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and alterations in the extracellular matrix, which contribute to metastasis and therapy resistance. This review highlights recent findings on melanoma phenotype switching, immunotherapy resistance, and the role of neural crest-like states in melanoma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
E. Dalles Keyes, Marcus C. Mifflin, Maxwell J. Austin, Brighton J. Alvey, Lotfa H. Lovely, Andriea Smith, Tristin E. Rose, Bethany A. Buck-Koehntop, Jyoti Motwani, Andrew G. Roberts
Summary: Inspired by oxidation-induced modifications in nature, a selective strategy for the preparation of Tyr-linked cyclic peptides has been developed. This approach utilizes N4-substituted 1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-diones (TADs) as azo electrophiles to react chemoselectively with the phenolic side chain of Tyr residues, forming stable C-N1-linked cyclic peptides.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lei Li, Caiyun G. Li, Suzan N. Almomani, Sultana Mehbuba Hossain, Michael R. Eccles
Summary: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common subtype of kidney cancer, and PAX genes are expressed in RCC and associated with cell proliferation inhibition. Based on PAX gene expression levels, RCC patients can be categorized into two subtypes, with PAXClusterA associated with favorable clinical outcomes and better overall survival.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Sultana Mehbuba Hossain, Chiemi F. Lynch-Sutherland, Aniruddha Chatterjee, Erin C. Macaulay, Michael R. Eccles
Summary: Cancer and placental cells exhibit similarities in terms of immune suppression and invasive behavior, involving genetic and epigenetic alterations. Research is being conducted to identify new targets for cancer therapy, particularly focusing on mechanisms related to immune evasion and drug resistance.
