Non-Coding RNA Webinar | Mechanisms and Consequences of miRNA Deregulation in Melanoma, Held on 16 May 2023

On Tuesday, 16 May 2023, MDPI and the journal, Non-Coding RNA (ISSN: 2311-553X), held a webinar entitled “Mechanisms and Consequences of miRNA Deregulation in Melanoma”. The webinar focused on microRNA involvement in melanoma pathogenesis.

In this webinar, Dr. Florian Karreth (Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA) presented two examples. In the first part of the talk, he described miR-29 as a family of microRNAs that exert an oncosuppressive role by targeting MAFG and MYBL2. The transcription of these microRNAs is subjected to a complex interplay between MAPK and p53 signaling, while their downregulation favors nevi transformation into a primary tumor (PMID: 33808771).

In the second part of the talk, he described the role played by several genes located on the frequently amplified chromosome, 1q. These genes, including CEP170, NUCKS1, and ZC3H11A, work as ceRNA, i.e., they sequester oncosuppressive microRNAs, and thereby, promote the upregulation of pro-metastatic genes (PMID: 36052492).

The data presented by Dr. Karreth stand as clear examples of the impact of non-coding RNAs and the coding-independent functions of mRNAs on the onset and progression of human melanoma.

You can access the webinar at the following link: https://youtu.be/0RE1Qo6YQ_U.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speaker:

• Dr. Laura Poliseno, Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), National Research Council (CNR) and Oncogenomics Unit, Core Research Laboratory (CRL), Istituto per lo Studio, la Prevenzione e la Rete Oncologica (ISPRO), Pisa, Italy;
• Dr. Florian Karreth, Department of Molecular Oncology, Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Cancer Biology & Evolution Program, Donald A. Adam Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center of Excellence, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa FL, USA.