Greater understanding about how melanoma tumours ulcerate and spread

Abstract

British Journal of DermatologyVolume 186, Issue 4 p. e182-e182 Plain Language SummaryFree Access Greater understanding about how melanoma tumours ulcerate and spread First published: 04 April 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21076AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Linked Article: Cosgarea et al. Br J Dermatol 2022; 186:694–704. Melanoma can be a deadly form of skin cancer that affects over 16,000 people in the UK each year. If the cancer is allowed to spread to other parts of the body it becomes very difficult to treat. Identifying which patients are most at risk of the cancer spreading will allow early treatment. Scientists in the UK have shown that decreased levels of a protein called AMBRA1 in the skin surrounding a melanoma tumour is associated with an increased likelihood of the tumour spreading. This study was carried out by scientists in the UK and Italy and aimed to find out whether decreased levels of AMBRA1 in the skin surrounding a melanoma was associated with ulceration. Ulceration is the breakdown of skin covering a tumour, and means the melanoma is more likely to spread. In the laboratory, levels of AMBRA1 and TGF-β2 (a growth factor produced by melanoma cells) were studied in melanoma samples. Tumours with higher levels of TGF-β2 had more AMBRA1 loss in the surrounding skin. Addition of TGF-β2 to healthy skin cells in a petri dish caused a decrease in AMBRA1 in these cells, as well as a decrease in a protein called claudin-1 (which helps to keep skin cells connected to each other). Further work in melanoma samples showed that when the amount of AMBRA1 was decreased in the skin surrounding a tumour, the amount of claudin-1 was often decreased as well. When this happened, the tumour sample frequently showed early signs of skin ulceration. These findings may explain how melanoma tumours ulcerate and spread (Figure 1) and may lead to new treatments that block the effect of TGF-β2. Figure 1Open in figure viewerPowerPoint (1) Normal skin. (2) A melanoma tumour producing TGF-β2, which causes a decrease in the amount of AMBRA1 and claudin-1. (3) Skin cells are held together less tightly, and melanoma cells are able to move through the skin causing ulceration. Volume186, Issue4April 2022Pages e182-e182 FiguresRelatedInformation