Epigenetics in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Malignant Melanoma

Abstract

Epigenetic mechanisms are fundamentally important for cancer initiation and development. However, a survey of the literature reveals that, to date, they appear less comprehensively investigated in melanoma than in many other cancers, e.g., prostate, breast, and colon carcinoma. The aim of this review is to provide a short summary of epigenetic aspects of functional relevance for melanoma pathogenesis. In addition, some new perspectives from epigenetic research in other cancers with potential for melanoma diagnosis and therapy are introduced. For example, the PrimeEpiHit hypothesis in urothelial carcinoma, which, similarly to malignant melanoma, can also be triggered by a single exogenous noxa, states that one of the first steps for cancer initiation could be epigenetic changes in key genes of one-carbon metabolism. The application of such insights may contribute to further progress in the diagnosis and therapy of melanoma, a deadly type of cancer.

Tumor Microenvironment as a Therapeutic Target in Melanoma Treatment

“…Tumor cell plasticity is driven by selective epigenetic and molecular changes that allow transitions within a wide range of cellular phenotypes [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. These reported changes have been shown to drive tumor cell diversity and promote reversible phenotypic spectrums as well.…”

Chromosome instability‐associated prognostic signature and cluster investigation for cutaneous melanoma cases

“…As a type of cancer derived from melanocytes, melanoma is most found in the skin, but also in the mucous membrane and viscera [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Melanoma is prone to metastasising and has a poor clinical survival outcome [ 1 , 2 ].…”

“…As a type of cancer derived from melanocytes, melanoma is most found in the skin, but also in the mucous membrane and viscera [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Melanoma is prone to metastasising and has a poor clinical survival outcome [ 1 , 2 ]. Several factors contribute to the pathogenesis of melanoma, such as survival environment stimuli, immune regulation, epigenetic changes, and genetic mutations [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Melanoma is prone to metastasising and has a poor clinical survival outcome [ 1 , 2 ]. Several factors contribute to the pathogenesis of melanoma, such as survival environment stimuli, immune regulation, epigenetic changes, and genetic mutations [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Aside from the early surgical resection, melanoma has no specific treatment, so early diagnosis and treatment are essential.…”

lncRNAs-EZH2 interaction as promising therapeutic target in cutaneous melanoma

“…While the development of targeted therapies is mainly focused on genetic alterations, growing evidence indicates that aberrant epigenetic control of cell fate substantially contributes to carcinogenesis. Therefore, epigenetic mechanisms such as non-coding RNAs (nc-RNAs), DNA methylation and histone modifications have attracted attention of cancer research for last years ( Sarkar et al, 2015 ; Moran et al, 2018 ; Santourlidis et al, 2022 ).…”