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Updated: Feb 26, 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

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KMT2A promotes melanoma cell growth by targeting hTERT signaling pathway

Changlin Zhang1, Chen Song2, Tianze Liu1

  • 1Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.

Cell Death & Disease
|July 21, 2017
PubMed

Insights

The KMT2A protein promotes melanoma growth by activating the hTERT signaling pathway. Targeting this KMT2A/hTERT pathway offers a potential new therapeutic strategy for melanoma patients.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer requiring new therapeutic targets.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving melanoma progression is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of KMT2A in melanoma cell growth and identify its downstream targets.
  • To evaluate the KMT2A/hTERT signaling pathway as a potential therapeutic target for melanoma.

Main Methods:

  • KMT2A knockdown and overexpression in melanoma cell lines.
  • Analysis of cell viability, migration, apoptosis, and tumorsphere formation.
  • Investigation of hTERT promoter activity and expression.
  • Xenograft mouse models and clinical sample analysis.

Main Results:

  • KMT2A knockdown inhibited melanoma cell viability, migration, and tumorsphere formation, while inducing apoptosis.
  • KMT2A regulated melanoma growth by targeting the hTERT pathway; hTERT overexpression rescued KMT2A knockdown effects.
  • KMT2A and hTERT expression were positively correlated in clinical melanoma samples, with high KMT2A predicting poor prognosis.

Conclusions:

  • KMT2A promotes melanoma growth and progression by activating the hTERT signaling pathway.
  • The KMT2A/hTERT signaling axis represents a promising therapeutic target for melanoma treatment.

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