Molecular and clinical correlates of HER3 expression highlights its potential role as a therapeutic target in melanoma.

Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor family member HER3 (erbB3) has been implicated in several types of cancer and recently drugs targeting HER3 have shown promising clinical activity. In melanoma, HER3 overexpression has been linked to both metastasis formation and resistance to drug therapy in cell culture models. Here, we sought to characterise the expression of HER3 in 187 melanoma biopsies (149 cutaneous, 38 mucosal) using immunohistochemistry, as well as to analyse the association between HER3 expression and molecular, clinical and pathological variables.

Causes, consequences and clinical significance of aneuploidy across melanoma subtypes.

Aneuploidy, the state of the cell in which the number of whole chromosomes or chromosome arms becomes imbalanced, has been recognized as playing a pivotal role in tumor evolution for over 100 years. In melanoma, the extent of aneuploidy, as well as the chromosomal regions that are affected differ across subtypes, indicative of distinct drivers of disease. Multiple studies have suggested a role for aneuploidy in diagnosis and prognosis of melanomas, as well as in the context of immunotherapy response.

Diagnostic utility of PRAME, p53 and 5-hmC immunostaining for distinguishing melanomas from naevi, neurofibromas, scars and other histological mimics.

High expression of PRAME (PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma) and p53 (a proposed marker of desmoplastic melanoma) and low expression of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) have each been reported in melanoma. However, their combined diagnostic utility for distinguishing melanomas, including uncommon variants, from histological mimics is unknown. This study sought to determine the utility of PRAME, p53 and 5-hmC immunostains for diagnosing melanocytic tumours.