Researchers find unexpected genomic landscape in melanoma

The Biomedical Genomics group, led by ICREA researcher Núria López-Bigas, has recently participated in a study to profile the genomic landscapes of three subtypes of melanoma, which also involved postdoctoral fellows in her lab Loris Mularoni and Sabarinathan Radhakrishnan. Headed by researchers at Melanoma Institute Australia and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, it is the largest gene-sequencing study ever undertaken in melanoma and one of the biggest in the field of oncology.

Published in Nature, the study has found that gene mutations in melanomas on the hands and feet (acral) and internal surfaces (mucosal) differ completely from those found in skin melanoma. This observation confirms the heterogeneity of melanomas.

Nuria Lopez-Bigas’ team has recognized expertise in cancer genomics and helped the Australian team “in the analysis and interpretation of the genetic changes that are most important and potential targets for treatment,” explains Loris Mularoni. “This finding will help to identify new therapeutic targets and treatments, specialized for the melanoma subtypes,” adds Mularoni.

Link to press release of the Melanoma Institute Australia

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