STK11 Loss: A Novel Mechanism for Melanoma Metastasis with Therapeutic Implications

Abstract

STK11 is implicated as a tumor suppressor in epithelial cancer invasion and metastasis. In their new article in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Dzung etal. (2021) show that loss of STK11 in cutaneous melanoma cells leads to an invasive metastatic phenotype through the activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3/5 and FAK signaling pathways. These results suggest that inhibition of STAT3/5 and FAK in STK11-deficient melanoma cells could serve as a novel therapeutic strategy against metastatic melanoma.