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Related Concept Videos

Skin Cancer01:30

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when there is an abnormal growth of skin cells, usually triggered by damage to the DNA within the skin cells. It is primarily caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer worldwide, and its incidence continues to rise.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
Pigmentation01:19

Pigmentation

The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
Pleiotropy01:33

Pleiotropy

Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells
06:09

Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells

Published on: June 7, 2019

PTEN and melanomagenesis.

Alejandro Conde-Perez1, Lionel Larue

  • 1Institut Curie, Developmental Genetics of Melanocytes, Bat. 110, 91405, Orsay, France.

Future Oncology (London, England)
|October 4, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The PI3K-PTEN-AKT pathway regulates cell functions and is crucial in melanoma. Its dysregulation, particularly PTEN loss, drives cancer growth and survival, impacting treatment strategies.

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Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • The Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Phosphatase and tensin homolog-Protein kinase B (PI3K-PTEN-AKT) signaling pathway is fundamental to cellular processes like proliferation, migration, growth, and survival.
  • This pathway plays a critical role in both normal tissue homeostasis and the development of cancer (tumorigenesis).
  • Constitutive activation of PI3K/AKT signaling, often coupled with the loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN, is implicated in cancer formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the PI3K-PTEN-AKT signaling pathway in melanoma initiation and progression.
  • To understand how this pathway, alone or with others, controls gene expression related to diverse cellular activities.
  • To provide foundational knowledge for developing targeted therapies for melanoma patients.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of PI3K-PTEN-AKT pathway members (including proteins and mTOR) in melanoma tumors and cell lines.
  • Examination of PTEN loss of function as a hallmark of pathway activation.
  • Investigation of PTEN loss of heterozygosity frequency in human melanomas.
  • Study of how PI3K activation affects proapoptotic genes (e.g., FoxO) and cell survival elements (e.g., p70S6K, AKT).

Main Results:

  • Members of the PI3K-PTEN-AKT pathway are frequently altered in melanoma.
  • Loss of PTEN function, a key event in pathway activation, is observed in approximately 30% of melanomas.
  • PI3K activation inhibits pro-apoptotic genes while promoting cell growth and survival genes.

Conclusions:

  • The PI3K-PTEN-AKT pathway is significantly involved in melanoma development and progression.
  • Understanding the pathway's regulatory mechanisms is essential for advancing melanoma research.
  • Knowledge gained can inform patient management and the development of novel therapeutic strategies.