Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 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

Dasatinib inhibits primary melanoma cell proliferation through morphology-dependent disruption of Src-ERK signaling

Jianghong Wu1, Xin Liao, Bo Yu

  • 1Department of Gastric Cancer and Soft Tissue Sarcoma Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032; ; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032;

Oncology Letters
|February 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Dasatinib treatment alters melanoma cell appearance and reduces proliferation by inhibiting the ERK signaling pathway. This suggests a role for Src in melanoma growth via this pathway.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • Advanced melanoma requires novel treatment strategies.
  • The RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway and c-Src are frequently deregulated in melanoma.
  • These pathways are implicated in melanoma development and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional interaction between c-Src and the MAPK pathway in melanoma.
  • To determine the effect of dasatinib on melanoma cell proliferation and morphology.
  • To elucidate the downstream signaling events affected by dasatinib.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of primary melanoma cells with dasatinib.
  • Assessment of changes in cell morphology.
  • Analysis of nuclear translocation of activated ERK1/2.

Main Results:

  • Dasatinib induced significant changes in melanoma cell morphology, including arborization and contraction.
  • A reduction in primary melanoma cell proliferation was observed following dasatinib treatment.
  • Dasatinib treatment inhibited the nuclear translocation of activated ERK1/2.

Conclusions:

  • Src signaling pathway activation, potentially through ERK1/2, promotes melanoma cell proliferation.
  • Dasatinib's effects on cell morphology and proliferation are linked to the inhibition of ERK1/2 nuclear translocation.
  • Targeting Src and its downstream pathways may offer a therapeutic strategy for advanced melanoma.
Keywords:
ERKSrcU0126dasatinibmelanoma

More Related Videos

A 3D Organotypic Melanoma Spheroid Skin Model08:49

A 3D Organotypic Melanoma Spheroid Skin Model

Published on: May 18, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
Inhibition of CDK Activity02:34

Inhibition of CDK Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
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...