Melanoma metastasis: Research unveils the cell death pathway in bone
Source: Medical Xpress, January 2025
Melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, often metastasizes to bones, causing severe bone loss, an increased risk of fractures, and significant pain. Bone metastasis is associated with poor survival rates and a markedly reduced quality of life.
Osteocytes, the most abundant cells in bone, are essential for maintaining bone structure and regulating bone remodeling. However, their role in the destruction of bone in melanoma metastasis remains unclear. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving osteocyte death is crucial to developing effective treatments for melanoma-induced bone metastasis, a condition that poses significant challenges for both researchers and clinicians.
In a recent study published in Bone Research, researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg have unveiled ferroptosis as the primary mechanism driving osteocyte death in melanoma bone metastasis. This discovery provides a new therapeutic target and offers hope for improving the management of bone metastases in melanoma patients.
The researchers used both in vivo and in vitro models to investigate the mechanisms underlying osteocyte death. They demonstrated that melanoma cells induce ferroptosis in osteocytes through the upregulation of HMOX1, a gene involved in iron metabolism and heme oxidation. Using an intracardiac melanoma metastasis mouse model and RNA sequencing, the team identified significant alterations in gene expression, particularly in ferroptosis-related pathways.