Scientists identify new biomarkers in patients with malignant melanoma

 A team of researchers studied the molecular characteristics of small "messenger" vesicles called "exosomes" produced by cancer stem cells (CSC), which play a key role in the process of canceration and metastasis in the blood of patients with malignant melanoma effect.

Their research showed that these malignant melanoma vesicles produced by CSC and differentiated tumor cells have a different molecular composition. It was also found that these molecules are detectable in exosomes present in the blood, and they show differences in patients with malignant melanoma compared with healthy individuals. This makes them potentially suitable as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.

The research results have been published in the well-known scientific journal "Molecular Oncology".

Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive types of skin cancer. In recent years, its prevalence has been on the rise globally. The factors that contribute to the life-threatening nature and severity of this disease include the late appearance of the initial symptoms, the lack of effective treatments, its high metastatic ability, and the difficulty of detecting this particular cancer. Unfortunately, due to the lack of indicators (called biomarkers), it is impossible to accurately diagnose the early stages of the disease and predict that it may develop in a given patient once discovered, so the diagnosis of malignant melanoma remains problematic.

These features that make this type of cancer a serious disease may be partly attributable to the so-called cancer stem cells (CSC), which are a subpopulation of cells present in tumors with typical characteristics of stem cells. They are responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance, and progression, as well as metastasis and recurrence, even years after tumor eradication.

Now, a team of scientists led by Professor Juan Antonio Marchal Corrales of the Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology of the University of Granada (UGR) and the chairman of "Cancer Stem Cell Research", the director of "Dr. Galera y Requena" and the Biohealth Research in Granada The Institute (IBS.GRANADA) and the meat Scientific Excellence Group (Modeling Nature) has studied these CSCs, especially microvesicles, which act as "messengers" for these cells. These cells are called exosomes, which are produced by the transfer of certain biomolecules and send other cells and tissues to communicate, thereby promoting the appearance of transfer.

These exosomes are involved in many tumor processes. When cells release them and circulate through the blood, they provide a very interesting source of biomarkers because they can be easily separated from blood samples. The focus of this study is the molecular characteristics of exosomes produced by CSC isolated from the blood of patients with malignant melanoma. Metabolomics technology is used to analyze the molecular characteristics of biological systems to identify biomarkers that may be used to diagnose the disease.

This research is the result of extensive interdisciplinary work. Translation researchers, bioinformaticians, and clinical researchers work together to take another step in the field of personalized medicine or precision medicine in oncology. The team is made up of members of UGR; the Medina Foundation (led by the head of the screening department and principal investigators Francisca Vicente and José Pérez del Palacio, respectively) ); Granada’s "Virgen de las Nieves" and "San Cecilio" teaching hospitals (all members of IBS.GRANADA); the University of Vigo; and the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO).