Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha and Apoptosis Induction in Melanoma Cells through Histone Modification by 3-Deazaneplanocin A

Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive skin cancer that can be difficult to manage once metastasis has occurred. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNFα) is a cytokine that influences the tumor microenvironment, activates tumor inflammation, and induces cell death(Balkwill, 2009). TNFα induces the signal-transduction pathways associated with cell survival through NF-κB or caspase 8. Melanoma cells can produce TNFα(Landsberg et al., 2012); however, its expression is heterogeneous and regulation of tumor cell TNFα production is poorly understood.