Human Melanocytes Do Not Express EGF Receptors

Constitutive Expression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors on Normal Human Melanocytes

“…Given two recent studies by Shahbazi et al (2002) and Stove et al (2003) on the importance of EGF and heregulin/HER receptor signaling in melanoma development, we would like to contribute our data of EGF receptor signaling in normal human melanocytes (NHM), which has become an area of recent controversy. In contrast to the recent report by Grahn and Isseroff (2004) in the Journal , our data clearly show that NHM express the EGF receptor and that tyrosine kinase‐mediated signaling occurs in response to recombinant EGF. In addition, the majority of previous reports argues for the EGF receptor being expressed on in situ melanoma and cultured melanoma cells as analyzed by several different techniques (Real et al , 1986; de Wit et al , 1992; Ellis et al , 1992; Mattei et al , 1994; Huang et al , 1996; Ivanov and Hei, 2005), whereas other investigators have not found this to be true (Halaban, 2000; Grahn and Isseroff, 2004).…”

“…In contrast to the recent report by Grahn and Isseroff (2004) in the Journal , our data clearly show that NHM express the EGF receptor and that tyrosine kinase‐mediated signaling occurs in response to recombinant EGF. In addition, the majority of previous reports argues for the EGF receptor being expressed on in situ melanoma and cultured melanoma cells as analyzed by several different techniques (Real et al , 1986; de Wit et al , 1992; Ellis et al , 1992; Mattei et al , 1994; Huang et al , 1996; Ivanov and Hei, 2005), whereas other investigators have not found this to be true (Halaban, 2000; Grahn and Isseroff, 2004). To address EGF receptor expression on NHM, we have used commercially available epidermal NHM that were devoid of dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes (Cat.…”

Epidermal Growth Factor and Epidermal Growth Factor Signaling Attenuate Laser-Induced Melanogenesis

“…E pidermal growth factor (EGF) is a peptide that promotes growth of many cell types after binding to an EGF receptor (EGFR) on the cell surface. 4 Other studies have reported EGFR on the cell bodies but not on the dendrites of cultured melanocytes, 5 expression of EGF and EGFR mRNA and protein by normal human adult melanocytes, and dose-dependent proliferation of melanocytes in response to EGF treatment. 1,3,4 It has been reported that cultured human melanocytes do not express EGFR and that there is no EGF-mediated signaling in human melanocytes.…”

Investigations on normal human adult epidermal melanoytes

“…Data on the expression of EGFR in normal human melanocytes were contradictory. Reviews on melanocyte biology categorically statd that normal melanocytes did not express EGFR [45], this statement was the title of a letter published in 2004 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology [46]. In contrast Gordon-Thomson and colleagues (2001), and later Mirmohammadsadegh et al (2005) have clearly demonstrated the presence of EGFR in normal cultured melanocytes [47,48].…”

“…Moreover, in previous studies both the mitogenic effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on normal cultured melanocytes, as well as the expression of EGFR on cultured cells, were reported to be missing by different authors [45,46]. Because Gordon- …”