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Updated: Sep 16, 2025
Implantation and Evaluation of Melanoma in the Murine Choroid via Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: December 2, 2022
Prognostic impact of MALs and potential immunotherapy targets in uveal melanoma
Jing Yang1,2, Zhou Fu1,2, Qin Xiang1,2
1Ophthalmology Department Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing China.
Abstract:
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary ocular malignancy in adults, and the 5-year disease-related mortality rate is 30%. MAL proteolipid family (MALs), including T-cell differentiation protein (MAL), T-cell differentiation protein 2 (MAL2), and T-cell differentiation protein like (MALL), were involved in the progression and prognosis of many different cancers. However, the role of MALs in UM was not reported. UM samples were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas. R software (R3.6.3) was used to comprehensively analyze the roles of the MALs (significance threshold: p < 0.05). MALs mRNA expression was changed in UM tissues. In terms of tumor stage, MAL2 was highly expressed in T4 (p = 0.021). The ROC curves indicated that MAL2 and MALL were prognostic biomarkers for 1- and 3-year survival in UM patients, and MAL2 also could predict 5-year survival for UM patients. Then, the univariable and multivariable analysis showed that MAL2 and MALL were independent prognostic biomarkers. Next, we assessed the immune microenvironment of MALs in UM. MAL had no correlation with B7-H3, but MAL2 and MALL had a positive correlation with B7-H3. Our results revealed that the MAL proteolipid family may be prognostic biomarkers for UM patients and that B7-H3 may be a novel immunotherapy target for UM.
Insights
The MAL proteolipid family, including MAL2 and MALL, shows altered expression in uveal melanoma (UM). MAL2 and MALL serve as independent prognostic biomarkers for UM survival and correlate with B7-H3, suggesting potential immunotherapy targets.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary eye cancer in adults, with a significant 5-year mortality rate.
- The MAL proteolipid family (MALs) is implicated in various cancers, but their role in UM remains uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression and prognostic significance of the MAL proteolipid family (MAL, MAL2, MALL) in uveal melanoma.
- To explore the correlation between MALs and the immune microenvironment, specifically B7-H3, in UM.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of UM tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas using R software (R3.6.3).
- Assessment of MALs mRNA expression, correlation with tumor stage, and prognostic value using ROC curves and survival analyses.
- Evaluation of the association between MALs and B7-H3 expression in the UM immune microenvironment.
Main Results:
- MALs mRNA expression was significantly altered in UM tissues.
- MAL2 expression was higher in advanced tumor stage T4 (p=0.021).
- MAL2 and MALL were identified as independent prognostic biomarkers for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival in UM patients.
- MAL2 and MALL showed a positive correlation with B7-H3 expression, while MAL did not.
Conclusions:
- The MAL proteolipid family, particularly MAL2 and MALL, may serve as valuable prognostic biomarkers for uveal melanoma.
- B7-H3 is potentially a novel immunotherapy target in UM, given its correlation with MAL2 and MALL.
