Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026
A 3D Organotypic Melanoma Spheroid Skin Model
Published on: May 18, 2018
Microvessel density and VEGF, HIF-1α expression in primary oral melanoma: correlation with prognosis
O Simonetti1, G Lucarini, C Rubini
1Department of Clinic and Molecular Sciences-Dermatology, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy.
Objective:
To understand the role of angiogenesis and hypoxia in cancer progression of primary oral melanoma (POM).
Materials And Methods:
Sixteen malignant primary melanomas were immunostained with markers CD34, VEGF and HIF-1α. Stained cells were counted in the invasive front and inside the tumour, and the differences were compared and correlated with histological parameters and disease-specific survival of the patients.
Results:
Tumour invasive front showed increased MVD and increased vessel VEGF and HIF-1α expression compared with the intratumoural compartment. No such differences were seen in tumoural melanocytes of the two compartments. Positive correlations were observed between CD34 and VEGF, CD34 and HIF-1α and VEGF and HIF-1α expression in invasive front vessels. CD34 expression was statistically correlated with the level of infiltration. A significant trend to worse disease-free survival was also determined with increased invasive front vessel expression of CD34, VEGF and HIF-1α.
Conclusions:
Our data highlight the importance of the invasive margin in POM biology. The high angiogenic activity and endothelial VEGF and HIF-1α expression in invasive front vessels have a significant impact on patient survival and future agents targeted against VEGF pathway may represent a novel and effective therapeutic opportunity. Larger studies are needed to further address our findings.
