2022
Integrative molecular and clinical profiling of acral melanoma links focal amplification of 22q11.21 to metastasis
Farshidfar F, Rhrissorrakrai K, Levovitz C, Peng C, Knight J, Bacchiocchi A, Su J, Yin M, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Clune J, Olino K, Parida L, Nikolaus J, Zhang M, Zhao S, Wang Y, Huang G, Wan M, Li X, Cao J, Yan Q, Chen X, Newman AM, Halaban R. Integrative molecular and clinical profiling of acral melanoma links focal amplification of 22q11.21 to metastasis. Nature Communications 2022, 13: 898. PMID: 35197475, PMCID: PMC8866401, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28566-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAcral melanomaMelanoma subtypesClinical profilingCommon melanoma subtypeImmune checkpoint blockadeCheckpoint blockadeInferior survivalMelanoma cell linesKey molecular driversPoor prognosisTherapeutic targetAnchorage-independent growthImmunomodulatory genesNon-white individualsHotspot mutationsMolecular driversCandidate oncogeneMelanomaApoptotic cell deathLZTR1Focal amplificationTumor promoterCell linesMetastasisTumor suppressor
2013
RAC1P29S is a spontaneously activating cancer-associated GTPase
Davis MJ, Ha BH, Holman EC, Halaban R, Schlessinger J, Boggon TJ. RAC1P29S is a spontaneously activating cancer-associated GTPase. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2013, 110: 912-917. PMID: 23284172, PMCID: PMC3549122, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1220895110.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAmino Acid SubstitutionAnimalsCell Surface ExtensionsChlorocebus aethiopsCOS CellsCrystallography, X-RayEnzyme ActivationGenetic Association StudiesGuanosine TriphosphateHumansHydrolysisKineticsMelanomaMiceMicroscopy, FluorescenceModels, MolecularMutation, MissenseNIH 3T3 CellsOncogenesRac1 GTP-Binding ProteinRecombinant Fusion ProteinsSignal TransductionStatic Electricity
2010
A Variant in a MicroRNA complementary site in the 3′ UTR of the KIT oncogene increases risk of acral melanoma
Godshalk SE, Paranjape T, Nallur S, Speed W, Chan E, Molinaro AM, Bacchiocchi A, Hoyt K, Tworkoski K, Stern DF, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Lazova R, Halaban R, Kidd KK, Weidhaas JB, Slack FJ. A Variant in a MicroRNA complementary site in the 3′ UTR of the KIT oncogene increases risk of acral melanoma. Oncogene 2010, 30: 1542-1550. PMID: 21119596, PMCID: PMC3069149, DOI: 10.1038/onc.2010.536.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMessenger RNAsComplementary sitesNovel genetic markersKIT oncogeneTarget genesRegulatory relationshipsUntranslated regionGenetic markersHeritable riskFunctional variantsGenetic variantsOncogeneMultifaceted roleProtein levelsProtein expressionVariant resultsComplementary sequencesReporter dataUTRMelanoma pathogenesisMiR-221KIT variantsSeed regionExpressionVariants
1996
Growth Regulatory Proteins that Repress Differentiation Markers in Melanocytes Also Downregulate the Transcription Factor Microphthalmia
Halaban R, Böhm M, Dotto P, Moellmann G, Cheng E, Zhang Y. Growth Regulatory Proteins that Repress Differentiation Markers in Melanocytes Also Downregulate the Transcription Factor Microphthalmia. Journal Of Investigative Dermatology 1996, 106: 1266-1272. PMID: 8752668, DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12348972.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTranscription factorsFibroblast growth factorBasic fibroblast growth factorMelanocyte-specific genesMelanogenic gene expressionTranscription factor microphthalmiaDownregulated transcription factorsDNA consensus siteTyrosinase-related protein 1Human metastatic melanoma cellsImmortalized mouse melanocytesPink-eyed dilutionCloudman S91 mouse melanomaMetastatic melanoma cellsSequestration of p300Transcriptional adaptorGrowth factorE1A mutantsConsensus sitesMouse melanocytesRegulatory proteinsMolecular basisOncogene RasGene expressionTumorigenic transformation
1991
Induction of different morphologic features of malignant melanoma and pigmented lesions after transformation of murine melanocytes with bFGF-cDNA and H-ras, myc, neu, and E1a oncogenes.
Ramon y Cajal S, Suster S, Halaban R, Filvaroff E, Dotto G. Induction of different morphologic features of malignant melanoma and pigmented lesions after transformation of murine melanocytes with bFGF-cDNA and H-ras, myc, neu, and E1a oncogenes. American Journal Of Pathology 1991, 138: 349-58. PMID: 1992762, PMCID: PMC1886204.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMalignant tumorsMorphologic featuresDifferent morphologic featuresMalignant melanomaBenign lesionsNude miceSyngenic miceSame tumorMelanocytic lesionsSmall round cellsBasic fibroblast growth factorH-RasFibroblast growth factorBenign melanocytic lesionsHistologic typeHistologic featuresSubcutaneous injectionBiologic behaviorSpindle cellsPossible molecular mechanismsEpithelioid cellsIntradermal nevusHuman melanomaLesionsDifferent tumorsGrowth factors regulating normal and malignant melanocytes
Halaban R. Growth factors regulating normal and malignant melanocytes. Cancer Treatment And Research 1991, 54: 19-40. PMID: 1673857, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-3938-4_2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEpidermal growth factorGrowth factor receptorV-erbEGF receptorFactor receptorGrowth factorStimulating factor receptorMacrophage-colony stimulating factor receptorEnvironmental growth factorsNormal human melanocytesRetroviral oncogenesCellular genesMitogenic signalsConstitutive activityHuman melanocytesNontransformed cellsRespective target cellsUnidentified ligandCell membraneGenesAberrant expressionNeoplastic transformationAutocrine loopNormal growthNormal cells
1989
Transformation of murine melanocytes by basic fibroblast growth factor cDNA and oncogenes and selective suppression of the transformed phenotype in a reconstituted cutaneous environment.
Dotto G, Moellmann G, Ghosh S, Edwards M, Halaban R. Transformation of murine melanocytes by basic fibroblast growth factor cDNA and oncogenes and selective suppression of the transformed phenotype in a reconstituted cutaneous environment. Journal Of Cell Biology 1989, 109: 3115-3128. PMID: 2556408, PMCID: PMC2115972, DOI: 10.1083/jcb.109.6.3115.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBasic fibroblast growth factorMurine melanocytesTransformation of melanocytesNormal murine melanocytesMetastatic melanoma cellsSynthesis of melaninMelanotic phenotypeConstitutive expressionFibroblast growth factorOncogene MYCRespective transformantsTransformantsFactor cDNAFormation of tumorsReconstitution experimentsDifferentiated functionsRecombinant retrovirusExogenous basic fibroblast growth factorOncogeneAutonomous growthExpression of bFGFCDNAConstitutive productionNude miceMelanocytes