Antigens of melanocytes and melanoma.
Melanoma is a valuable model to study phenotypic traits that are regulated during cell differentiation and malignant transformation. Melanoma cells display extensive phenotypic and antigenic heterogeneity. Studies of this attribute have provided insight into events that take place during normal melanocyte differentiation and give clues to traits that contribute to malignancy. It is possible that the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity present among melanoma cells within a single lesion includes a subset of cells with traits that favor tumor progression and metastasis. This review discusses the identification and characterization of antigens expressed by melanoma cells and their potential contribution to melanocyte differentiation and malignant transformation.
Lynch
S A
SA
Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Cornell University Medical College, New York.
Bouchard
B N
BN
Vijayasaradhi
S
S
Yuasa
H
H
Houghton
A N
AN
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm