Epigenetic Work Reveals Potential Biomarker in Cutaneous Melanoma

By: Celeste L. Dixon
Posted: Thursday, December 12, 2024

For what they believe is the first time, researchers have found that hypermethylation of the SLC22A17 gene’s promoter hotspot may represent a potential epigenetic hallmark of cancer initiation as well as a putative DNA methylation–based biomarker to predict worse prognosis for patients with cutaneous melanoma. They accomplished this, in part, by analyzing DNA methylation levels of the SLC22A17 downstream promoter hotspot in tissue samples of both individuals with cutaneous melanoma and healthy controls. The levels allowed for discrimination between the two groups, reported Alessandro Lavoro, PhD, of the University of Catania, Italy, and colleagues in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

Although preliminary, the results could pave a path for identifying additional DNA methylation hotspots that might have diagnostic and prognostic value for cutaneous melanoma as well as for other malignancies, predicted the team. Their research complements other studies performed in the past several years that have demonstrated the effect that aberrant DNA methylation has on the tumor microenvironment, promoting tumor growth and progression.

Hypermethylation of the SLC22A17 hotspot was associated with advanced cutaneous melanoma also, especially when considering stage and Breslow’s thickness, the team noted. SLC22A17 is a gene involved in modulating the tumor microenvironment, occupied particularly with iron trafficking and extracellular matrix remodeling, they explained.

The computational analyses performed by Dr. Lavoro and co-investigators confirmed that SLC22A17 was significantly downregulated in cutaneous melanoma. “SLC22A17 may act as a tumor suppressor gene,” they hypothesized. Further, DNA methylation “levels of the investigated SLC22A17 hotspot, belonging to the downstream promoter region, increase during both the initiation and progression of cutaneous melanoma, indicating its potential role as an epigenetic biomarker in cutaneous melanoma management.”

Disclosure: Dr. Lavoro reported no conflicts of interests. For full disclosures of the other study authors, visit translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com.

Journal of Translational Medicine

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