Understanding Melanoma Pathogenesis: Emerging Molecular Pathways and Targets in Melanoma Progression

Dear Colleagues,

Melanoma is a dreaded disease. Even though only 4–7% of skin cancers are melanomas, it causes 80% of skin-cancer deaths. It is increasing, and unlike other solid tumors, it mostly affects young and middle-aged individuals.

The characteristics of melanoma are insidious and fast progression, heterogeneity, therapeutic resistance, and unexpected recurrence.

Melanoma represents the malignant transformation of melanocytes, the neural-crest-derived cells that principally populate the basal epidermis, and hair follicles, mucosal surfaces, meninges, and the choroidal layer of the eye. The transformation of melanocytes, cells normally programmed for melanin synthesis, into tumor cells that disseminate from the primary site and reach distal organs, where metastasis occurs through a complex plethora of molecular events, takes place. Over the past ten years, significant progress has been made in melanoma diagnosis and treatment, which has increased the duration and quality of the lives of patients with advanced stages. This has only been possible due to intense and continuous research devoted to understating how melanoma cells work, their versatility in bypassing the organism’s defense system, and their survival and proliferation under stressful conditions. However, the mechanisms of melanoma progression are not entirely understood and need to be controlled for the patient's full benefit.

This Special Issue aims to focus on the significant advancements in melanoma molecularity. We welcome any contributions such as research articles, reviews, communications, and concept papers that uncover the most recently validated or novel pathways and key players, primarily but not only in skin melanoma cells, related to mutations, therapeutic or environmental resistance, and cross-talk between tumor cells and the cellular environment or cells of the immune system. Due to the specific profile of the journal, we encourage contributions focused on experimental cytology rather than clinical and epidemiological studies.

We also expect that in addition to fundamental knowledge, this updated information will represent a foundation for the initiation of translational preclinical studies for more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Ali R. Jazirehi
Dr. Shikhar Mehrotra
Dr. Negroiu Gabriela
Guest Editors

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