Publications by authors named "R Halaban"
Widespread BRAF mutations result in persistent RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) signaling in melanoma. BRAF (BRAFi) and MEK (MEKi) inhibitors are approved for BRAF V600E melanomas, including those progressing on immunotherapy; however, rapid resistance to these agents highlights the need for novel strategies. Here, transcriptome analysis of BRAF V600E melanomas from patients resistant to BRAFi and MEKi shows activation of focal adhesion signaling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffective anti-tumor immunity is driven by cytotoxic CD8 T cells with specificity for tumor antigens. However, the factors that control successful tumor rejection are not well understood. Here we identify a subpopulation of CD8 T cells that are tumor-antigen-specific and can be identified by KIR expression but paradoxically impair anti-tumor immunity in patients with melanoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- AccuScan is a new technology for whole genome sequencing (WGS) of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that significantly reduces the error rate, making it more reliable for detecting molecular residual disease (MRD).
- It achieves an impressive analytical sensitivity of detecting low levels of cancer variants with 100% specificity in colorectal and esophageal cancers shortly after surgery.
- AccuScan also effectively monitors treatment response in melanoma patients by tracking circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), demonstrating its utility in predicting disease outcomes without needing large sample amounts.
Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) and its homolog D-dopachrome Tautomerase (DDT) have been implicated as drivers of tumor progression across a variety of cancers. Recent evidence suggests MIF as a therapeutic target in immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) resistant melanomas, however clinical evidence of MIF and particularly of DDT remain limited. This retrospective study analyzed 97 patients treated at Yale for melanoma between 2002-2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) is a rare melanoma subtype characterized by dense fibrous stroma, a propensity for local recurrence, and a high response rate to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade. Occult sentinel lymph node positivity is significantly lower in both pure and mixed DM than in conventional melanoma, underscoring the need for better prognostic biomarkers to inform therapeutic strategies.
Methods: We assembled a tissue microarray comprising various cores of tumor, stroma, and lymphoid aggregates from 45 patients with histologically confirmed DM diagnosed between 1989 and 2018.