Melanoma is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although targeted therapy and immunotherapy have improved the outcome patients with metastatic disease, unwanted side effects are problem. Herein, by using human melanoma cell lines in vitro, we explore that melatonin enhances anti-tumor activity commonly used BRAF/MEK inhibitors, i.e. vemurafenib (VF) cobimetinib (CB), respectively. Our r...

Metastasis is a significant event in cancer progression and continues to pose the greatest challenge for a cancer cure. Defining genes that control metastasis in vivo may provide new targets for intervening in this process with profound therapeutic implications. Melanoma differentiation associated gene-9 (mda-9) was initially identified by subtraction hybridization as a novel gene displaying bi...

Although melanomas with mutant v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) can now be effectively targeted, there is no molecular target for most melanomas expressing wild-type BRAF. Here, we show that the activation of Pleckstrin homology domain-interacting protein (PHIP), promotes melanoma metastasis, can be used to classify a subset of primary melanomas, and is a prognostic biomark...

PURPOSE Advanced melanoma is a highly drug-refractory neoplasm representing a significant unmet medical need. We sought to identify melanoma-associated cell surface molecules and to develop as well as preclinically test immunotherapeutic reagents designed to exploit such targets. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESULTS By transcript profiling, we identified glycoprotein NMB (GPNMB) as a gene that is ...

EYA1 is a DNA repair enzyme that is induced after DNA damage and is upregulated in melanoma. However, its role in pathogenesis and therapeutic targeting of melanoma is unknown. Our objectives are (1) to study the relationship between EYA1 expression levels and melanoma patients' clinical pathologic parameters including survival; (2) to investigate its impact on cultured melanoma cells in vitro;...

Malignant melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract is an uncommon neoplasm that could be primary or metastatic. Small intestine represents the most common site for the metastatic melanoma; however, it could be found anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Intussusception is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in adults compared to children. In 90% of the cases, the underlying cause can be foun...

Tumor cell metastasis involves a complex series of interdependent events, including repeated invasion of basement membranes. Studies from several laboratories have implicated tumor cell adhesion and migration in response to laminin as a major contributing factor in tumor cell invasion. The current studies address the direct role of type IV collagen in promoting tumor cell adhesion, spreading, a...