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How Neural Crest Transcription Factors Contribute to Melanoma Heterogeneity, Cellular Plasticity, and Treatment

Anja Wessely1,2, Theresa Steeb1,2, Carola Berking1,2

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|June 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Melanoma aggressiveness stems from its embryonic origins and cellular plasticity, impacting treatment resistance. Understanding these factors is key to improving melanoma patient outcomes and developing new therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cutaneous melanoma is a deadly skin cancer where early detection is critical.
  • Recent therapies like BRAF/MEK inhibitors and immunotherapies have improved survival, but drug resistance remains a significant challenge.
  • Melanoma's aggressiveness is linked to the embryonic development of melanocytes and melanoma cells, and their cellular plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the embryonic origins of melanocytes and melanoma cells.
  • To discuss cellular plasticity, intratumoral heterogeneity, and phenotype switching in melanoma.
  • To explore the role of key transcriptional regulators in melanoma aggressiveness and drug resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of melanoma pathogenesis.
  • Summary of melanocyte development from neural crest (NC) precursor cells.
  • Analysis of cellular plasticity mechanisms and their role in drug resistance.
  • Focus on transcriptional regulators: MSX1, MITF, SOX10, PAX3, and FOXD3.

Main Results:

  • Melanocytes originate from neural crest cells, a process involving specific transcriptional regulators.
  • Cellular plasticity and phenotype switching enable melanoma to adapt, progress, and develop resistance to therapies.
  • Transcriptional regulators like MSX1, MITF, SOX10, PAX3, and FOXD3 are crucial for both neural crest development and melanoma cellular plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • The embryonic origin and cellular plasticity of melanoma cells are key drivers of disease aggressiveness and therapeutic resistance.
  • Understanding the role of specific transcriptional regulators in these processes may reveal new therapeutic strategies for melanoma.
  • Targeting factors involved in neural crest development and cellular plasticity could overcome drug resistance in melanoma.
Keywords:
FOXD3MITFMSX1PAX3SOX10cellular plasticitymelanomaneural crestphenotype switch

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