Researchers discovered how melanoma changes its environment to support metastasis
Source: Newswise, June 2023
Newswise — A fresh analysis performed at Tel Aviv University and the Sheba Medical Center unveils how melanoma tumor cells impact their nearby surroundings to aid their requirements – by generating fresh lymph channels in the dermis to penetrate further into the skin and extend throughout the body. The scientists hold the view that this novel finding might aid in the advancement of an immunization against this fatal cancer.
The significant advancement was spearheaded by Prof. Carmit Levy from TAU’s Faculty of Medicine and Prof. Shoshana Greenberger of the Sheba Medical Center. The research received funding from ICRF (the Israel Cancer Research Fund) and its findings were published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a publication affiliated with Nature.
Melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, initiates with unregulated proliferation of melanocyte cells in the epidermis, the uppermost layer of the skin. In the subsequent phase, the cancerous cells infiltrate the dermis and disseminate via the lymphatic and circulatory systems. Previous research noted a striking increase in the concentration of lymphatic vessels in the vicinity of melanoma, a phenomenon that had eluded comprehension by scientists until this recent discovery.