title: Epigenomic landscape of melanoma progression to brain metastasis: unexplored therapeutic alternatives.
abstract: Melanoma brain metastasis is a complication with rising incidence. Despite the high rate of somatic mutations driving the initial stages of melanocyte transformation, the brain colonization requires a phenotypic reprogramming that is, in part, influenced by epigenomic modifications. This special report summarizes recent findings in the epigenomic landscape of melanoma progression to brain metastasis, with particular emphasis on the clinical utility of DNA methylation, chromatin modifications and ncRNA expression as theragnostic markers, as well as the significance of the metastatic microenvironment on melanoma brain metastasis epigenome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Oncology, John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, 2200 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA.
authors.forename: Diego M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Marzese
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Research & Immunology, George S. Wise, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Isaac P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Witz
authors.affiliation: Brain Tumor Center, Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Oncology, John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, 2200 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA.
authors.forename: Dave S B
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hoon
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018899:CpG Islands; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D018450:Disease Progression; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002843:Chromatin; D022661:RNA, Untranslated
keywords: DNA methylation; cancer progression; chromatin modifications; epigenomics; melanoma brain metastasis; metastasis microenvironment; noncoding RNA expression; regulatory elements