title: MicroRNAs as an emerging target for melanoma therapy.
abstract: Despite the growing focus on microRNAs (miRNAs) as novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets in cancer, global characterization of miRNA expression patterns and their specific targets in melanoma has lagged. In this issue, Reuland et al. (2012) identify miR-26a as being specifically downregulated in human melanoma cells. They further establish Silencer of Death Domains as a novel target for miR-26a, which functionally mediates melanoma cell death. These findings suggest that miR-26a may serve as a promising novel therapy for subsets of melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Byungwoo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Soonyean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Rhoda M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Alani
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D035683:MicroRNAs; C116906:BAG4 protein, human; C528163:MIRN26 microRNA, human