Acral lentiginous skin cancer is a rare form of skin cancer. It develops when the melanocytes of the skin become too large and start to form tumors. The causes of acral-melanoma are not well understood. Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute have revealed key differences in the cellular, molecular and molecular compositions of acral melanoma and melanoma. These findings could lead to new therapeutic targets.
Their findings are published by the journal Clinical Cancer Research In a paper titled A single cell analysis of the cellular landscape in acral melanomas identifies new targets for immunotherapy, and is led by Keiran Smaly, PhD, professor and chief of the Melanoma and Skin Cancers Center of Excellence (Moffitt Cancer Center) and Y. Ann Chen PhD, senior member of Moffitt Cancer Center.
Researchers describe a rare type of melanoma called acral melanoma. It occurs on the non-hair bearing skin of the palms and soles as well as the nail beds. This study used single cell DNA-seq (scRNA -seq), to map the transcriptional landscape in acral Melanoma and identify potential immunotherapeutic targets.
Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Acral melanoma, which is a rare type of melanoma, accounts for about 3% of all cases. It is more common when the disease is diagnosed in a later, more advanced stage. This can lead to poor outcomes. Acral melanoma does not have many of the same genetic alterations that are seen in melanoma.
Researchers sought to identify the distinguishing characteristics of acral and melanoma in order to better understand the disease.
We performed scRNA–seq on nine clinical samples (5 primary, 4 metastatics) of acral malignancy. Researchers noted that cell type curation was performed and the immune landscapes were mapped. Key results were validated using TCGA and single-cell datasets. Cell-cell interactions were inferred, and they were compared to those in nonacral cutaneous melanomas.
Researchers discovered key characteristics in acral melanomas that could be therapeutic targets.
Researchers report that cutaneous melanomas from non-acral skin have a suppressed immune response, while acral melanoma has one. Multiple immune checkpoints that can be used to treat melanoma were identified, providing new options for clinical translation.
Researchers hope that their findings will lead future treatments for patients suffering from acral-melanoma.
This is the first comprehensive analysis of the immune/tumor transcriptal landscape of acral melanomas. Smalley concluded that our study revealed unique features in the immune environment of Acral Melanoma. These included immune checkpoints of translational importance that could be used as therapeutic targets for this neglected condition.