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Ruth Halaban, PhD

Senior Research Scientist

Contact Information

Ruth Halaban, PhD

Mailing Address

  • Dermatology

    PO Box 208059, 15 York St. HRT604A

    New Haven, CT 06520-8059

    United States

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Research Summary

Dr. Halaban's research is focused on melanoma and the main interests are: 1) novel mutations that promote melanoma initiations and metastasis; 2) molecular mechanism that leads to melanoma resistance to therapy; 3) new targets for therapy; and 4) the application molecular diagnosis of melanoma in the clinic. Most recently Dr. Halaban has been engaged in sequencing the melanoma exome and transcriptome and relating the mutations to melanoma cell uncontrolled growth and drug response. These studies were facilitated by the Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer (YSPORE), a program funded over the past 12 years by the NCI/NIH (Halaban, PI). The Tissue Resource Core of the YSPORE, managed by Ms. Antonella Bacchiocchi, has accumulated a large collection of tumor tissues, PBL, serum/plasma, normal skin, and cultured normal melanocytes and melanoma cells. The Core routinely performs targeted sequencing of melanoma oncogenes and validation of exome-capture sequencing data, handled by Mr. Robert Straub. In addition, the Core records each patient detailed clinical information and treatment outcome. These resources are shared with investigators at Yale, other Skin Cancer SPOREs, nationally and around the world and have been the subject of multiple publications. The following list epresents Dr. Halaban’s publications in the field of melanocyte pigmentation, malignant transformation, cell proliferation, drug responses, mutations analysis, epigenetics, and others.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Dermatology; Melanocytes; Melanoma; Signal Transduction; Gene Expression; Cell Proliferation

Selected Publications

  • Aberrant retention of tyrosinase in the endoplasmic reticulum mediates accelerated degradation of the enzyme and contributes to the dedifferentiated phenotype of amelanotic melanoma cells.Halaban R, Cheng E, Zhang Y, Moellmann G, Hanlon D, Michalak M, Setaluri V, Hebert DN. Aberrant retention of tyrosinase in the endoplasmic reticulum mediates accelerated degradation of the enzyme and contributes to the dedifferentiated phenotype of amelanotic melanoma cells. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 1997, 94: 6210-5. PMID: 9177196, PMCID: PMC21028, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.12.6210.
  • Melanoma cell autonomous growth: the Rb/E2F pathway.Halaban R. Melanoma cell autonomous growth: the Rb/E2F pathway. Cancer Metastasis Reviews 1999, 18: 333-43. PMID: 10721488, DOI: 10.1023/a:1006396104073.
  • Deregulated E2F transcriptional activity in autonomously growing melanoma cells.Halaban R, Cheng E, Smicun Y, Germino J. Deregulated E2F transcriptional activity in autonomously growing melanoma cells. The Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2000, 191: 1005-16. PMID: 10727462, PMCID: PMC2193116, DOI: 10.1084/jem.191.6.1005.
  • The regulation of normal melanocyte proliferation.Halaban R. The regulation of normal melanocyte proliferation. Pigment Cell Research 2000, 13: 4-14. PMID: 10761990, DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0749.2000.130103.x.
  • Endoplasmic reticulum retention is a common defect associated with tyrosinase-negative albinism.Halaban R, Svedine S, Cheng E, Smicun Y, Aron R, Hebert DN. Endoplasmic reticulum retention is a common defect associated with tyrosinase-negative albinism. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2000, 97: 5889-94. PMID: 10823941, PMCID: PMC18529, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.97.11.5889.
  • Proper folding and endoplasmic reticulum to golgi transport of tyrosinase are induced by its substrates, DOPA and tyrosine.Halaban R, Cheng E, Svedine S, Aron R, Hebert DN. Proper folding and endoplasmic reticulum to golgi transport of tyrosinase are induced by its substrates, DOPA and tyrosine. The Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2001, 276: 11933-8. PMID: 11124258, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M008703200.
  • Isolation and sequence of a cDNA clone for human tyrosinase that maps at the mouse c-albino locus.Kwon BS, Haq AK, Pomerantz SH, Halaban R. Isolation and sequence of a cDNA clone for human tyrosinase that maps at the mouse c-albino locus. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 1987, 84: 7473-7. PMID: 2823263, PMCID: PMC299318, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.84.21.7473.
  • bFGF is the putative natural growth factor for human melanocytes.Halaban R, Ghosh S, Baird A. bFGF is the putative natural growth factor for human melanocytes. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology : Journal Of The Tissue Culture Association 1987, 23: 47-52. PMID: 3027025.
  • Tyrosinases of murine melanocytes with mutations at the albino locus.Halaban R, Moellmann G, Tamura A, Kwon BS, Kuklinska E, Pomerantz SH, Lerner AB. Tyrosinases of murine melanocytes with mutations at the albino locus. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 1988, 85: 7241-5. PMID: 3140237, PMCID: PMC282161, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.85.19.7241.
  • bFGF as an autocrine growth factor for human melanomas.Halaban R, Kwon BS, Ghosh S, Delli Bovi P, Baird A. bFGF as an autocrine growth factor for human melanomas. Oncogene Research 1988, 3: 177-86. PMID: 3226725.
  • Diminished TCR signaling in cutaneous T cell lymphoma is associated with decreased activities of Zap70, Syk and membrane-associated Csk.Fargnoli MC, Edelson RL, Berger CL, Chimenti S, Couture C, Mustelin T, Halaban R. Diminished TCR signaling in cutaneous T cell lymphoma is associated with decreased activities of Zap70, Syk and membrane-associated Csk. Leukemia 1997, 11: 1338-46. PMID: 9264390.
  • Abnormal acidification of melanoma cells induces tyrosinase retention in the early secretory pathway.Halaban R, Patton RS, Cheng E, Svedine S, Trombetta ES, Wahl ML, Ariyan S, Hebert DN. Abnormal acidification of melanoma cells induces tyrosinase retention in the early secretory pathway. The Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2002, 277: 14821-8. PMID: 11812790, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M111497200.
  • Pigmentation in melanomas: changes manifesting underlying oncogenic and metabolic activities.Halaban R. Pigmentation in melanomas: changes manifesting underlying oncogenic and metabolic activities. Oncology Research 2002, 13: 3-8. PMID: 12201672, DOI: 10.3727/096504002108747908.
  • Coexpression of wild-type tyrosinase enhances maturation of temperature-sensitive tyrosinase mutants.Halaban R, Cheng E, Hebert DN. Coexpression of wild-type tyrosinase enhances maturation of temperature-sensitive tyrosinase mutants. The Journal Of Investigative Dermatology 2002, 119: 481-8. PMID: 12190874, DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1747.2002.01824.x.
  • Subcellular localization of activating transcription factor 2 in melanoma specimens predicts patient survival.Berger AJ, Kluger HM, Li N, Kielhorn E, Halaban R, Ronai Z, Rimm DL. Subcellular localization of activating transcription factor 2 in melanoma specimens predicts patient survival. Cancer Research 2003, 63: 8103-7. PMID: 14678960.
  • The tyrphostin AG1024 accelerates the degradation of phosphorylated forms of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and restores pRb tumor suppressive function in melanoma cells.von Willebrand M, Zacksenhaus E, Cheng E, Glazer P, Halaban R. The tyrphostin AG1024 accelerates the degradation of phosphorylated forms of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and restores pRb tumor suppressive function in melanoma cells. Cancer Research 2003, 63: 1420-9. PMID: 12649208.
  • Tyrosinase maturation and oligomerization in the endoplasmic reticulum require a melanocyte-specific factor.Francis E, Wang N, Parag H, Halaban R, Hebert DN. Tyrosinase maturation and oligomerization in the endoplasmic reticulum require a melanocyte-specific factor. The Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2003, 278: 25607-17. PMID: 12724309, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M303411200.
  • Expression profiling reveals novel pathways in the transformation of melanocytes to melanomas.Hoek K, Rimm DL, Williams KR, Zhao H, Ariyan S, Lin A, Kluger HM, Berger AJ, Cheng E, Trombetta ES, Wu T, Niinobe M, Yoshikawa K, Hannigan GE, Halaban R. Expression profiling reveals novel pathways in the transformation of melanocytes to melanomas. Cancer Research 2004, 64: 5270-82. PMID: 15289333, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-04-0731.
  • Her2/neu is not a commonly expressed therapeutic target in melanoma -- a large cohort tissue microarray study.Kluger HM, DiVito K, Berger AJ, Halaban R, Ariyan S, Camp RL, Rimm DL. Her2/neu is not a commonly expressed therapeutic target in melanoma -- a large cohort tissue microarray study. Melanoma Research 2004, 14: 207-10. PMID: 15179190, DOI: 10.1097/01.cmr.0000130874.33504.2f.
  • Novel tyramide-based tyrosinase assay for the detection of melanoma cells in cytological preparations.Angeletti C, Khomitch V, Halaban R, Rimm DL. Novel tyramide-based tyrosinase assay for the detection of melanoma cells in cytological preparations. Diagnostic Cytopathology 2004, 31: 33-7. PMID: 15236262, DOI: 10.1002/dc.20051.
  • Automated quantitative analysis of HDM2 expression in malignant melanoma shows association with early-stage disease and improved outcome.Berger AJ, Camp RL, Divito KA, Kluger HM, Halaban R, Rimm DL. Automated quantitative analysis of HDM2 expression in malignant melanoma shows association with early-stage disease and improved outcome. Cancer Research 2004, 64: 8767-72. PMID: 15574789, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-04-1384.
  • Carbohydrates act as sorting determinants in ER-associated degradation of tyrosinase.Svedine S, Wang T, Halaban R, Hebert DN. Carbohydrates act as sorting determinants in ER-associated degradation of tyrosinase. Journal Of Cell Science 2004, 117: 2937-49. PMID: 15161941, DOI: 10.1242/jcs.01154.
  • Rb/E2F: a two-edged sword in the melanocytic system.Halaban R. Rb/E2F: a two-edged sword in the melanocytic system. Cancer Metastasis Reviews 2005, 24: 339-56. PMID: 15986142, DOI: 10.1007/s10555-005-1582-z.
  • Melanocyte and keratinocyte carcinogenesis: p53 family protein activities and intersecting mRNA expression profiles.Kulesz-Martin M, Lagowski J, Fei S, Pelz C, Sears R, Powell MB, Halaban R, Johnson J. Melanocyte and keratinocyte carcinogenesis: p53 family protein activities and intersecting mRNA expression profiles. The Journal Of Investigative Dermatology. Symposium Proceedings / The Society For Investigative Dermatology, Inc. [and] European Society For Dermatological Research 2005, 10: 142-52. PMID: 16363065, DOI: 10.1111/j.1087-0024.2005.200405.x.
  • Expression of tumor necrosis factor--related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptors 1 and 2 in melanoma.McCarthy MM, DiVito KA, Sznol M, Kovacs D, Halaban R, Berger AJ, Flaherty KT, Camp RL, Lazova R, Rimm DL, Kluger HM. Expression of tumor necrosis factor--related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptors 1 and 2 in melanoma. Clinical Cancer Research : An Official Journal Of The American Association For Cancer Research 2006, 12: 3856-63. PMID: 16778114, PMCID: PMC1839847, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-0190.
  • Rab33A: characterization, expression, and suppression by epigenetic modification.Cheng E, Trombetta SE, Kovacs D, Beech RD, Ariyan S, Reyes-Mugica M, McNiff JM, Narayan D, Kluger HM, Picardo M, Halaban R. Rab33A: characterization, expression, and suppression by epigenetic modification. The Journal Of Investigative Dermatology 2006, 126: 2257-71. PMID: 16810302, DOI: 10.1038/sj.jid.5700386.
  • XAF1 mediates tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis cleavage by acting through the mitochondrial pathway.Straszewski-Chavez SL, Visintin IP, Karassina N, Los G, Liston P, Halaban R, Fadiel A, Mor G. XAF1 mediates tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis cleavage by acting through the mitochondrial pathway. The Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2007, 282: 13059-72. PMID: 17329253, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M609038200.
  • Roadmap for new opportunities in melanoma research.Herlyn M, Halaban R, Ronai Z, Schuchter L, Berwick M, Pinkel D. Roadmap for new opportunities in melanoma research. Seminars In Oncology 2007, 34: 566-76. PMID: 18083380, DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2007.09.004.
  • Metastatic peritoneal neurocutaneous melanocytosis.Cajaiba MM, Benjamin D, Halaban R, Reyes-Múgica M. Metastatic peritoneal neurocutaneous melanocytosis. The American Journal Of Surgical Pathology 2008, 32: 156-61. PMID: 18162783, DOI: 10.1097/PAS.0b013e3181238cd2.
  • Nuclear to non-nuclear Pmel17/gp100 expression (HMB45 staining) as a discriminator between benign and malignant melanocytic lesions.Rothberg BE, Moeder CB, Kluger H, Halaban R, Elder DE, Murphy GF, Lazar A, Prieto V, Duncan LM, Rimm DL. Nuclear to non-nuclear Pmel17/gp100 expression (HMB45 staining) as a discriminator between benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. Modern Pathology : An Official Journal Of The United States And Canadian Academy Of Pathology, Inc 2008, 21: 1121-9. PMID: 18552823, PMCID: PMC2570478, DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.2008.100.
  • MEDME: an experimental and analytical methodology for the estimation of DNA methylation levels based on microarray derived MeDIP-enrichment.Pelizzola M, Koga Y, Urban AE, Krauthammer M, Weissman S, Halaban R, Molinaro AM. MEDME: an experimental and analytical methodology for the estimation of DNA methylation levels based on microarray derived MeDIP-enrichment. Genome Research 2008, 18: 1652-9. PMID: 18765822, PMCID: PMC2556264, DOI: 10.1101/gr.080721.108.
  • Integrative analysis of epigenetic modulation in melanoma cell response to decitabine: clinical implications.Halaban R, Krauthammer M, Pelizzola M, Cheng E, Kovacs D, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Bacchiocchi A, Molinaro A, Kluger Y, Deng M, Tran N, Zhang W, Picardo M, Enghild JJ. Integrative analysis of epigenetic modulation in melanoma cell response to decitabine: clinical implications. PloS One 2009, 4: e4563. PMID: 19234609, PMCID: PMC2642998, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004563.
  • Genome-wide screen of promoter methylation identifies novel markers in melanoma.Koga Y, Pelizzola M, Cheng E, Krauthammer M, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Molinaro AM, Halaban R, Weissman SM. Genome-wide screen of promoter methylation identifies novel markers in melanoma. Genome Research 2009, 19: 1462-70. PMID: 19491193, PMCID: PMC2720187, DOI: 10.1101/gr.091447.109.
  • Meenhard Herlyn.Halaban R. Meenhard Herlyn. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 2010, 23: 287. PMID: 20394680, DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148X.2010.00683.x.
  • PLX4032, a selective BRAF(V600E) kinase inhibitor, activates the ERK pathway and enhances cell migration and proliferation of BRAF melanoma cells.Halaban R, Zhang W, Bacchiocchi A, Cheng E, Parisi F, Ariyan S, Krauthammer M, McCusker JP, Kluger Y, Sznol M. PLX4032, a selective BRAF(V600E) kinase inhibitor, activates the ERK pathway and enhances cell migration and proliferation of BRAF melanoma cells. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 2010, 23: 190-200. PMID: 20149136, PMCID: PMC2848976, DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148X.2010.00685.x.
  • Incidence of the V600K mutation among melanoma patients with BRAF mutations, and potential therapeutic response to the specific BRAF inhibitor PLX4032.Rubinstein JC, Sznol M, Pavlick AC, Ariyan S, Cheng E, Bacchiocchi A, Kluger HM, Narayan D, Halaban R. Incidence of the V600K mutation among melanoma patients with BRAF mutations, and potential therapeutic response to the specific BRAF inhibitor PLX4032. Journal Of Translational Medicine 2010, 8: 67. PMID: 20630094, PMCID: PMC2917408, DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-8-67.
  • Genome-wide methylation and expression profiling identifies promoter characteristics affecting demethylation-induced gene up-regulation in melanoma.Rubinstein JC, Tran N, Ma S, Halaban R, Krauthammer M. Genome-wide methylation and expression profiling identifies promoter characteristics affecting demethylation-induced gene up-regulation in melanoma. BMC Medical Genomics 2010, 3: 4. PMID: 20144234, PMCID: PMC2843643, DOI: 10.1186/1755-8794-3-4.
  • 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 2011, 30: 1542-50. PMID: 21119596, PMCID: PMC3069149, DOI: 10.1038/onc.2010.536.
  • Future perspectives in melanoma research. Meeting report from the "Melanoma Research: a bridge Naples-USA. Naples, December 6th-7th 2010".Ascierto PA, De Maio E, Bertuzzi S, Palmieri G, Halaban R, Hendrix M, Kashani-sabet M, Ferrone S, Wang E, Cochran A, Rivoltini L, Lee PP, Fox BA, Kirkwood JM, Ullmann CD, Lehmann FF, Sznol M, Schwartzentruber DJ, Maio M, Flaherty K, Galon J, Ribas A, Yang J, Stroncek DF, Mozzillo N, Marincola FM. Future perspectives in melanoma research. Meeting report from the "Melanoma Research: a bridge Naples-USA. Naples, December 6th-7th 2010". Journal Of Translational Medicine 2011, 9: 32. PMID: 21439082, PMCID: PMC3078100, DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-9-32.
  • Plasma markers for identifying patients with metastatic melanoma.Kluger HM, Hoyt K, Bacchiocchi A, Mayer T, Kirsch J, Kluger Y, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Molinaro A, Halaban R. Plasma markers for identifying patients with metastatic melanoma. Clinical Cancer Research : An Official Journal Of The American Association For Cancer Research 2011, 17: 2417-25. PMID: 21487066, PMCID: PMC3415234, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-10-2402.
  • MicroRNA signatures differentiate melanoma subtypes.Chan E, Patel R, Nallur S, Ratner E, Bacchiocchi A, Hoyt K, Szpakowski S, Godshalk S, Ariyan S, Sznol M, Halaban R, Krauthammer M, Tuck D, Slack FJ, Weidhaas JB. MicroRNA signatures differentiate melanoma subtypes. Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) 2011, 10: 1845-52. PMID: 21543894, PMCID: PMC3233487, DOI: 10.4161/cc.10.11.15777.
  • Phosphoproteomic screen identifies potential therapeutic targets in melanoma.Tworkoski K, Singhal G, Szpakowski S, Zito CI, Bacchiocchi A, Muthusamy V, Bosenberg M, Krauthammer M, Halaban R, Stern DF. Phosphoproteomic screen identifies potential therapeutic targets in melanoma. Molecular Cancer Research : MCR 2011, 9: 801-12. PMID: 21521745, PMCID: PMC3117976, DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-10-0512.
  • Integrated NY-ESO-1 antibody and CD8+ T-cell responses correlate with clinical benefit in advanced melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab.Yuan J, Adamow M, Ginsberg BA, Rasalan TS, Ritter E, Gallardo HF, Xu Y, Pogoriler E, Terzulli SL, Kuk D, Panageas KS, Ritter G, Sznol M, Halaban R, Jungbluth AA, Allison JP, Old LJ, Wolchok JD, Gnjatic S. Integrated NY-ESO-1 antibody and CD8+ T-cell responses correlate with clinical benefit in advanced melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2011, 108: 16723-8. PMID: 21933959, PMCID: PMC3189057, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1110814108.
  • In vivo identification of tumor- suppressive PTEN ceRNAs in an oncogenic BRAF-induced mouse model of melanoma.Karreth FA, Tay Y, Perna D, Ala U, Tan SM, Rust AG, DeNicola G, Webster KA, Weiss D, Perez-Mancera PA, Krauthammer M, Halaban R, Provero P, Adams DJ, Tuveson DA, Pandolfi PP. In vivo identification of tumor- suppressive PTEN ceRNAs in an oncogenic BRAF-induced mouse model of melanoma. Cell 2011, 147: 382-95. PMID: 22000016, PMCID: PMC3236086, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.09.032.
  • Detecting copy number status and uncovering subclonal markers in heterogeneous tumor biopsies.Parisi F, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Bacchiocchi A, Hoyt K, Cheng E, Xu F, Li P, Halaban R, Kluger Y. Detecting copy number status and uncovering subclonal markers in heterogeneous tumor biopsies. BMC Genomics 2011, 12: 230. PMID: 21569352, PMCID: PMC3114747, DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-230.
  • Integrated analysis of tumor samples sheds light on tumor heterogeneity.Parisi F, Micsinai M, Strino F, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Bacchiocchi A, Cheng E, Xu F, Li P, Kluger H, Halaban R, Kluger Y. Integrated analysis of tumor samples sheds light on tumor heterogeneity. The Yale Journal Of Biology And Medicine 2012, 85: 347-61. PMID: 23012583, PMCID: PMC3447199.
  • Chitinase-like proteins in lung injury, repair, and metastasis.Lee CG, Dela Cruz CS, Ma B, Ahangari F, Zhou Y, Halaban R, Sznol M, Elias JA. Chitinase-like proteins in lung injury, repair, and metastasis. Proceedings Of The American Thoracic Society 2012, 9: 57-61. PMID: 22550243, PMCID: PMC3359113, DOI: 10.1513/pats.201112-056MS.
  • Preexisting MEK1 exon 3 mutations in V600E/KBRAF melanomas do not confer resistance to BRAF inhibitors.Shi H, Moriceau G, Kong X, Koya RC, Nazarian R, Pupo GM, Bacchiocchi A, Dahlman KB, Chmielowski B, Sosman JA, Halaban R, Kefford RF, Long GV, Ribas A, Lo RS. Preexisting MEK1 exon 3 mutations in V600E/KBRAF melanomas do not confer resistance to BRAF inhibitors. Cancer Discovery 2012, 2: 414-24. PMID: 22588879, PMCID: PMC3594852, DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-12-0022.
  • Exome sequencing identifies recurrent somatic RAC1 mutations in melanoma.Krauthammer M, Kong Y, Ha BH, Evans P, Bacchiocchi A, McCusker JP, Cheng E, Davis MJ, Goh G, Choi M, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Dutton-Regester K, Capatana A, Holman EC, Bosenberg M, Sznol M, Kluger HM, Brash DE, Stern DF, Materin MA, Lo RS, Mane S, Ma S, Kidd KK, Hayward NK, Lifton RP, Schlessinger J, Boggon TJ, Halaban R. Exome sequencing identifies recurrent somatic RAC1 mutations in melanoma. Nature Genetics 2012, 44: 1006-14. PMID: 22842228, PMCID: PMC3432702, DOI: 10.1038/ng.2359.
  • Type II p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are regulated by an autoinhibitory pseudosubstrate.Ha BH, Davis MJ, Chen C, Lou HJ, Gao J, Zhang R, Krauthammer M, Halaban R, Schlessinger J, Turk BE, Boggon TJ. Type II p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are regulated by an autoinhibitory pseudosubstrate. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2012, 109: 16107-12. PMID: 22988085, PMCID: PMC3479536, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1214447109.
  • Clonal growth of human melanocytes using cell-free extracellular matrix.Zhang R, Premi S, Kilic SS, Bacchiocchi A, Halaban R, Brash DE. Clonal growth of human melanocytes using cell-free extracellular matrix. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 2013, 26: 925-7. PMID: 24034857, PMCID: PMC4086752, DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12159.
  • 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: 912-7. PMID: 23284172, PMCID: PMC3549122, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1220895110.
  • Identification of PLX4032-resistance mechanisms and implications for novel RAF inhibitors.Choi J, Landrette SF, Wang T, Evans P, Bacchiocchi A, Bjornson R, Cheng E, Stiegler AL, Gathiaka S, Acevedo O, Boggon TJ, Krauthammer M, Halaban R, Xu T. Identification of PLX4032-resistance mechanisms and implications for novel RAF inhibitors. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 2014, 27: 253-62. PMID: 24283590, PMCID: PMC4065135, DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12197.
  • Future perspectives in melanoma research: meeting report from the "Melanoma Bridge", Napoli, December 5th-8th 2013.Ascierto PA, Grimaldi AM, Anderson AC, Bifulco C, Cochran A, Garbe C, Eggermont AM, Faries M, Ferrone S, Gershenwald JE, Gajewski TF, Halaban R, Hodi FS, Kefford R, Kirkwood JM, Larkin J, Leachman S, Maio M, Marais R, Masucci G, Melero I, Palmieri G, Puzanov I, Ribas A, Saenger Y, Schilling B, Seliger B, Stroncek D, Sullivan R, Testori A, Wang E, Ciliberto G, Mozzillo N, Marincola FM, Thurin M. Future perspectives in melanoma research: meeting report from the "Melanoma Bridge", Napoli, December 5th-8th 2013. Journal Of Translational Medicine 2014, 12: 277. PMID: 25348889, PMCID: PMC4232645, DOI: 10.1186/s12967-014-0277-z.
  • Rare SF3B1 R625 mutations in cutaneous melanoma.Kong Y, Krauthammer M, Halaban R. Rare SF3B1 R625 mutations in cutaneous melanoma. Melanoma Research 2014, 24: 332-4. PMID: 24709888, PMCID: PMC4101881, DOI: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000000071.
  • Exome sequencing identifies recurrent mutations in NF1 and RASopathy genes in sun-exposed melanomas.Krauthammer M, Kong Y, Bacchiocchi A, Evans P, Pornputtapong N, Wu C, McCusker JP, Ma S, Cheng E, Straub R, Serin M, Bosenberg M, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Sznol M, Kluger HM, Mane S, Schlessinger J, Lifton RP, Halaban R. Exome sequencing identifies recurrent mutations in NF1 and RASopathy genes in sun-exposed melanomas. Nature Genetics 2015, 47: 996-1002. PMID: 26214590, PMCID: PMC4916843, DOI: 10.1038/ng.3361.
  • PLEKHA5 as a Biomarker and Potential Mediator of Melanoma Brain Metastasis.Jilaveanu LB, Parisi F, Barr ML, Zito CR, Cruz-Munoz W, Kerbel RS, Rimm DL, Bosenberg MW, Halaban R, Kluger Y, Kluger HM. PLEKHA5 as a Biomarker and Potential Mediator of Melanoma Brain Metastasis. Clinical Cancer Research : An Official Journal Of The American Association For Cancer Research 2015, 21: 2138-47. PMID: 25316811, PMCID: PMC4397107, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-14-0861.
  • Downregulation of the Ubiquitin Ligase RNF125 Underlies Resistance of Melanoma Cells to BRAF Inhibitors via JAK1 Deregulation.Kim H, Frederick DT, Levesque MP, Cooper ZA, Feng Y, Krepler C, Brill L, Samuels Y, Hayward NK, Perlina A, Piris A, Zhang T, Halaban R, Herlyn MM, Brown KM, Wargo JA, Dummer R, Flaherty KT, Ronai ZA. Downregulation of the Ubiquitin Ligase RNF125 Underlies Resistance of Melanoma Cells to BRAF Inhibitors via JAK1 Deregulation. Cell Reports 2015, 11: 1458-73. PMID: 26027934, PMCID: PMC4681438, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.04.049.
  • Combination therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 leads to distinct immunologic changes in vivo.Das R, Verma R, Sznol M, Boddupalli CS, Gettinger SN, Kluger H, Callahan M, Wolchok JD, Halaban R, Dhodapkar MV, Dhodapkar KM. Combination therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 leads to distinct immunologic changes in vivo. Journal Of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 2015, 194: 950-9. PMID: 25539810, PMCID: PMC4380504, DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1401686.
  • Photochemistry. Chemiexcitation of melanin derivatives induces DNA photoproducts long after UV exposure.Premi S, Wallisch S, Mano CM, Weiner AB, Bacchiocchi A, Wakamatsu K, Bechara EJ, Halaban R, Douki T, Brash DE. Photochemistry. Chemiexcitation of melanin derivatives induces DNA photoproducts long after UV exposure. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2015, 347: 842-7. PMID: 25700512, PMCID: PMC4432913, DOI: 10.1126/science.1256022.
  • PDK1 and SGK3 Contribute to the Growth of BRAF-Mutant Melanomas and Are Potential Therapeutic Targets.Scortegagna M, Lau E, Zhang T, Feng Y, Sereduk C, Yin H, De SK, Meeth K, Platt JT, Langdon CG, Halaban R, Pellecchia M, Davies MA, Brown K, Stern DF, Bosenberg M, Ronai ZA. PDK1 and SGK3 Contribute to the Growth of BRAF-Mutant Melanomas and Are Potential Therapeutic Targets. Cancer Research 2015, 75: 1399-412. PMID: 25712345, PMCID: PMC4383687, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-2785.
  • RAC1 and melanoma.Halaban R. RAC1 and melanoma. Clinical Therapeutics 2015, 37: 682-5. PMID: 25465943, PMCID: PMC4415501, DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2014.10.027.
  • GNA14 Somatic Mutation Causes Congenital and Sporadic Vascular Tumors by MAPK Activation.Lim YH, Bacchiocchi A, Qiu J, Straub R, Bruckner A, Bercovitch L, Narayan D, McNiff J, Ko C, Robinson-Bostom L, Antaya R, Halaban R, Choate KA. GNA14 Somatic Mutation Causes Congenital and Sporadic Vascular Tumors by MAPK Activation. American Journal Of Human Genetics 2016, 99: 443-50. PMID: 27476652, PMCID: PMC4974082, DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.06.010.
  • RASopathy Gene Mutations in Melanoma.Halaban R, Krauthammer M. RASopathy Gene Mutations in Melanoma. The Journal Of Investigative Dermatology 2016, 136: 1755-1759. PMID: 27236105, PMCID: PMC4992636, DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.05.095.
  • A generic, cost-effective, and scalable cell lineage analysis platform.Biezuner T, Spiro A, Raz O, Amir S, Milo L, Adar R, Chapal-Ilani N, Berman V, Fried Y, Ainbinder E, Cohen G, M Barr H, Halaban R, Shapiro E. A generic, cost-effective, and scalable cell lineage analysis platform. Genome Research 2016, 26: 1588-1599. PMID: 27558250, PMCID: PMC5088600, DOI: 10.1101/gr.202903.115.
  • Germline MC1R status influences somatic mutation burden in melanoma.Robles-Espinoza CD, Roberts ND, Chen S, Leacy FP, Alexandrov LB, Pornputtapong N, Halaban R, Krauthammer M, Cui R, Timothy Bishop D, Adams DJ. Germline MC1R status influences somatic mutation burden in melanoma. Nature Communications 2016, 7: 12064. PMID: 27403562, PMCID: PMC4945874, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12064.
  • AMPK promotes tolerance to Ras pathway inhibition by activating autophagy.Sanduja S, Feng Y, Mathis RA, Sokol ES, Reinhardt F, Halaban R, Gupta PB. AMPK promotes tolerance to Ras pathway inhibition by activating autophagy. Oncogene 2016, 35: 5295-5303. PMID: 27041569, PMCID: PMC6086350, DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.70.
  • Future perspectives in melanoma research "Melanoma Bridge", Napoli, November 30th-3rd December 2016.Ascierto PA, Agarwala SS, Ciliberto G, Demaria S, Dummer R, Duong CPM, Ferrone S, Formenti SC, Garbe C, Halaban R, Khleif S, Luke JJ, Mir LM, Overwijk WW, Postow M, Puzanov I, Sondel P, Taube JM, Thor Straten P, Stroncek DF, Wargo JA, Zarour H, Thurin M. Future perspectives in melanoma research "Melanoma Bridge", Napoli, November 30th-3rd December 2016. Journal Of Translational Medicine 2017, 15: 236. PMID: 29145885, PMCID: PMC5691855, DOI: 10.1186/s12967-017-1341-2.
  • Spitz nevi and Spitzoid melanomas: exome sequencing and comparison with conventional melanocytic nevi and melanomas.Lazova R, Pornputtapong N, Halaban R, Bosenberg M, Bai Y, Chai H, Krauthammer M. Spitz nevi and Spitzoid melanomas: exome sequencing and comparison with conventional melanocytic nevi and melanomas. Modern Pathology : An Official Journal Of The United States And Canadian Academy Of Pathology, Inc 2017, 30: 640-649. PMID: 28186096, PMCID: PMC5413430, DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.2016.237.
  • Changes in serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels reflect and predict response to anti-PD-1 treatment in melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer patients.Sanmamed MF, Perez-Gracia JL, Schalper KA, Fusco JP, Gonzalez A, Rodriguez-Ruiz ME, Oñate C, Perez G, Alfaro C, Martín-Algarra S, Andueza MP, Gurpide A, Morgado M, Wang J, Bacchiocchi A, Halaban R, Kluger H, Chen L, Sznol M, Melero I. Changes in serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels reflect and predict response to anti-PD-1 treatment in melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer patients. Annals Of Oncology : Official Journal Of The European Society For Medical Oncology / ESMO 2017, 28: 1988-1995. PMID: 28595336, PMCID: PMC5834104, DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx190.
  • A Serum Protein Signature Associated with Outcome after Anti-PD-1 Therapy in Metastatic Melanoma.Weber JS, Sznol M, Sullivan RJ, Blackmon S, Boland G, Kluger HM, Halaban R, Bacchiocchi A, Ascierto PA, Capone M, Oliveira C, Meyer K, Grigorieva J, Asmellash SG, Roder J, Roder H. A Serum Protein Signature Associated with Outcome after Anti-PD-1 Therapy in Metastatic Melanoma. Cancer Immunology Research 2018, 6: 79-86. PMID: 29208646, DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-17-0412.
  • A novel anti-melanoma SRC-family kinase inhibitor.Halaban R, Bacchiocchi A, Straub R, Cao J, Sznol M, Narayan D, Allam A, Krauthammer M, Mansour TS. A novel anti-melanoma SRC-family kinase inhibitor. Oncotarget 2019, 10: 2237-2251. PMID: 31040916, PMCID: PMC6481345, DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26787.
  • Proteomic and T cell biomarkers identify sensitivity and resistance to immunotherapy in cancer patients.Weber JS, Woods D, Laino A, Kluger H, Halaban R, Sznol M, Roder H, Roder J, Blackmon K, Sullivan R. Proteomic and T cell biomarkers identify sensitivity and resistance to immunotherapy in cancer patients. Annals Of Oncology : Official Journal Of The European Society For Medical Oncology / ESMO 2017, 28 Suppl 9: ix21. PMID: 32120553, DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx553.001.
  • Retrospective cell lineage reconstruction in humans by using short tandem repeats.Tao L, Raz O, Marx Z, Ghosh MS, Huber S, Greindl-Junghans J, Biezuner T, Amir S, Milo L, Adar R, Levy R, Onn A, Chapal-Ilani N, Berman V, Ben Arie A, Rom G, Oron B, Halaban R, Czyz ZT, Werner-Klein M, Klein CA, Shapiro E. Retrospective cell lineage reconstruction in humans by using short tandem repeats. Cell Reports Methods 2021, 1: None. PMID: 34341783, PMCID: PMC8313865, DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100054.
  • T cell characteristics associated with toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with melanoma.Lozano AX, Chaudhuri AA, Nene A, Bacchiocchi A, Earland N, Vesely MD, Usmani A, Turner BE, Steen CB, Luca BA, Badri T, Gulati GS, Vahid MR, Khameneh F, Harris PK, Chen DY, Dhodapkar K, Sznol M, Halaban R, Newman AM. T cell characteristics associated with toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with melanoma. Nature Medicine 2022, 28: 353-362. PMID: 35027754, PMCID: PMC8866214, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01623-z.
  • 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.
  • Author Correction: 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. Author Correction: Integrative molecular and clinical profiling of acral melanoma links focal amplification of 22q11.21 to metastasis. Nature Communications 2022, 13: 2704. PMID: 35538087, PMCID: PMC9090916, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30446-w.

Clinical Trials

Study Title
Molecular Markers of UV Exposure and Cancer Risk in Skin
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