melanoma

[Genes & Development] Using melanoma as a model, the authors showed that TBX2 lied downstream from PI3K signaling and that TBX2 binds and was required for expression of E2F1, a key antisenescence cell cycle regulator.

[Nature Cancer] Scientists found that small extracellular vesicles derived from metastatic melanoma cell lines were enriched in nerve growth factor receptor, spread through the lymphatic system and were taken up by lymphatic endothelial cells, reinforcing lymph node metastasis.

[Cancer Immunology Research] The authors showed that expression of the axon guidance molecule PlexinA4 in cytotoxic T cell, especially in effector/memory CD8+ T cells, was induced upon T cell activation, sustained in the circulation, but reduced when entering the tumor bed.

[Journal of Experimental Medicine] Using single-cell transcriptomics, researchers discovered a unique CD8 T cell blood/tumor-shared subpopulation in melanoma patients with high levels of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), the ectonucleotidases CD38 and CD39, and both exhaustion and cytotoxicity markers.

[Cell Death & Disease] Tumor growth and metastasis are heavily affected by the P2X7 receptor and microvesicles and exosomes released into the microenvironment. Researchers showed that P2X7 was overexpressed in patients affected by metastatic malignant melanoma and its expression was closely correlated with reduced overall survival.

[Cancer Research] To clarify the role of ERK5 in melanoma growth, scientists performed transcriptomic analyses following ERK5 knockdown in melanoma cells expressing BRAFV600E and found that cellular senescence was among the most affected processes.