Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine Make Major Breakthrough in Melanoma Research
A discovery made by Mount Sinai researchers about the progression of melanoma could lead to new treatments.
In a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for patients with malignant melanoma, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that a particular protein suppresses the progression of melanoma through regulation of an oncogene, or gene responsible for cancer growth. The study is published in the December 23 issue of Nature.
Researchers studied the natural progression of melanoma using mouse and human cells, as well as patient samples and determined that the presence of a specific histone variant, which is a protein that helps package DNA, was directly related to the growth of melanoma. In all instances, researchers observed that as the melanoma became more aggressive, the presence of the histone variant macroH2A decreased. Researchers then manipulated macroH2A levels in melanoma and found that when they removed it in the early stages of the disease, the melanoma progressed more aggressively both in growth and metastasis. Adding macroH2A to late-stage aggressive melanoma cells created the opposite effect.
"We wanted to determine whether macroH2A is a passenger in this process or if it’s crucial in the progression of melanoma," said Emily Bernstein, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncological Sciences and Dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and lead author of the study. When further investigating macroH2A function in melanoma, the researchers found that it regulates CDK8, a known oncogene for colorectal cancer. "CDK8 is highly expressed in aggressive melanoma, suggesting it also plays a major role in the process," Dr. Bernstein explained.
Through further functional studies, researchers found that eliminating macroH2A led to an increase in CDK8 expression, and the elimination of CDK8 in metastatic melanoma cells impaired their proliferation. These results suggest that macroH2A suppresses melanoma progression, at least in part, through the regulation of CDK8.
"Very little is known about melanoma epigenetics or the histone-mediated epigenetic changes in cancer in general, so these findings are a major step forward in our research. As we move ahead, we would like to determine how to inhibit CDK8 function, thereby inhibiting the growth of melanoma, as well as identify additional epigenetic changes in melanoma progression." said Dr. Bernstein. "What these discoveries really highlight is the need for further studies into the epigenetic code of cancer."
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and accounts for about 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths. Though the most preventable cause of melanoma is exposure to the sun’s UV rays, other factors include genetics and immune system deficiencies. When detected early, melanoma is highly curable. According to American Academy of Dermatology, the average five-year survival rate for individuals whose melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes is 98 percent.
About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of few medical schools embedded in a hospital in the United States. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 15 institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institute of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The school received the 2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital among the nation's best hospitals based on reputation, patient safety, and other patient-care factors. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 530,000 outpatient visits took place.
For more information, visit www.mountsinai.org. Follow us on Twitter @mountsinainyc.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.