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Soo Park, MD
Soo Park, MD
Posted: Monday, March 23, 2026
In a study published in Nature, Carla Daniela Robles-Espinoza, PhD, of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, and colleagues found that genetic ancestry and somatic alterations in acral melanomas from Mexican patients—a genetically admixed population—are linked to tumor origin and prognosis. Of note, BRAF-mutant tumors appeared to be associated with European ancestry and distinct transcriptional profiles.
“Latin American samples are substantially underrepresented in global cancer genomics studies…,” the investigators remarked. “This study shows the value of studying diverse populations, allowing us to uncover previously unreported relationships and better understand tumor evolution.”
Using multiple laboratory analyses, the investigators characterized the genome and transcriptome of 123 acral melanoma tumors from 92 Mexican patients. Compared with other studies of melanoma, fewer mutations were identified in classical driver genes such as BRAF, NRAS, and NF1. Although most patients were primarily of Amerindian genetic ancestry, those with a greater share o European ancestry showed a higher frequency of BRAF mutations.
The investigators found that tumors harboring activating BRAF mutations exhibited a transcriptional profile more closely resembling cutaneous nonvolar melanocytes, suggesting that, in these patients, acral melanomas may originate from a different cell type than other tumors arising in the same sites. Transcriptional profiling identified three expression clusters, which appeared to be associated with both recurrence-free and overall survival.
“Our data indicate that tumors harboring BRAF mutations may constitute a distinct subtype, sharing characteristics with superficial spreading and acral melanoma,” the investigators commented. “These findings would have implications for patient selection in clinical trials evaluating new therapies for acral melanoma.”
Disclosure: Dr. Robles-Espinoza reported no conflicts of interest. For full disclosures of the other study authors, visit nature.com.
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