Research

Melanoma-restricted genes

Ena Wang¹ , Monica C Panelli¹ , Katia Zavaglia¹ , Susanna Mandruzzato² , Nan Hu³ , Phil R Taylor³ , Barbara Seliger⁴ , Paola Zanovello² , Ralph S Freedman⁵ and Francesco M Marincola¹

¹  Immunogenetics Section, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA

²  Department of Oncology and Surgical Sciences, Oncology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

³  Cancer Prevention Studies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

⁴  Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle, Germany

⁵  Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

author email corresponding author email

Journal of Translational Medicine 2004, 2:34doi:10.1186/1479-5876-2-34

Published:	15 October 2004

Abstract

Human metastatic cutaneous melanoma has gained a well deserved reputation for its immune responsiveness. The reason(s) remain(s) unknown. We attempted previously to characterize several variables that may affect the relationship between tumor and host immune cells but, taken one at the time, none yielded a convincing explanation. With explorative purposes, high-throughput technology was applied here to portray transcriptional characteristics unique to metastatic cutaneous melanoma that may or may not be relevant to its immunogenic potential. Several functional signatures could be identified descriptive of immune or other biological functions. In addition, the transcriptional profile of metastatic melanoma was compared with that of primary renal cell cancers (RCC) identifying several genes co-coordinately expressed by the two tumor types. Since RCC is another immune responsive tumor, commonalities between RCC and melanoma may help untangle the enigma of their potential immune responsiveness. This purely descriptive study provides, therefore, a map for the investigation of metastatic melanoma in future clinical trials and at the same time may invite consideration of novel therapeutic targets.