Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2025

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis
07:41

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

Published on: March 8, 2022

2.5K

Tumour Suppressor Neuron Navigator 3 and Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 are Co-expressed in Most Melanomas but

Olga Bugaeva1, Pilvi Maliniemi2, Wenche S Prestvik3

  • 11Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Research Program Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. olga.i.bugaeva@gmail.com.

Acta Dermato-Venereologica
|March 8, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Neuron navigator 3 (NAV3) and MMP14 are frequently altered in melanoma. Their downregulation in thicker melanomas suggests they may inhibit melanoma progression and metastasis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Melanoma is a skin cancer originating from melanocytes.
  • Metastasis is a hallmark of aggressive melanoma.
  • MMP14 is a key regulator of cancer cell invasion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the expression of NAV3 in relation to MMP14 in primary melanomas.
  • To investigate the role of NAV3 in melanoma cell migration and invasion.
  • To correlate NAV3 and MMP14 expression with melanoma thickness.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of NAV3 copy number changes and protein expression in melanoma samples.
  • In vitro studies using melanoma cell lines to assess the effect of NAV3 silencing on migration and invasion.
  • Correlation analysis between NAV3 and MMP14 expression and clinicopathological features, including Breslow thickness.

Main Results:

  • NAV3 copy number alterations (mainly deletions) were frequent in primary melanomas (67%).
  • NAV3 protein localized to the leading edge of migrating melanoma cells and its silencing reduced cell migration and invasion.
  • NAV3 and MMP14 expression correlated and were co-expressed in thin melanomas (<1 mm), but often downregulated in thicker tumors (>5 mm).

Conclusions:

  • NAV3 copy number changes are common in melanoma.
  • NAV3 plays a role in melanoma cell migration and invasion.
  • Downregulation of both NAV3 and MMP14 in thicker melanomas suggests their involvement in inhibiting melanoma progression.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Potential of Circulating Tumor Cells in Leptomeningeal Disease Research06:25

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Potential of Circulating Tumor Cells in Leptomeningeal Disease Research

Published on: March 29, 2024

961
Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy09:40

Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy

Published on: October 4, 2019

5.7K

Related Concept Videos

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR...
2.1K
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...
4.6K
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
6.7K
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...
3.8K
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
6.4K