Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Ex Vivo Culture of Circulating Tumor Cells in the Cerebral Spinal Fluid from Melanoma Patients to Study Melanoma-Associated Leptomeningeal Disease
Published on: March 29, 2024
Tumor biomarkers in melanoma
Selma Ugurel1, Jochen Utikal, Jürgen C Becker
1Department of Dermatology, Julius-Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany. ugurel_s@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
Background:
Morphologic and histopathologic markers have been the backbone for the classification and prognostic assessment of melanoma. Availability of an increasing number of molecular markers, however, provides the potential for refining diagnostic and prognostic categories in this disease.
Methods:
We reviewed the recent data that are accumulating concerning gene expression and genetic profiling and related these to clinical aspects of the disease.
Results:
Multiple biomarkers have now been described, and their biologic significance is being established. In addition, several candidate molecules involved in melanoma pathogenesis have been identified.
Conclusions:
The process of biomarker identification and validation is providing a rapidly changing molecular view of melanoma, a strategy that is necessary for developing truly stratified or even personalized prevention or management.
