Melanoma
Simvastatin Protects Human Melanocytes from H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress by Activating Nrf2
The prevention of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress has proved to be beneficial to vitiligo patients. Simvastatin possesses antioxidative capacity and has shown protective effect in various oxidative stress-related diseases. However, whether simvastatin can protect human melanocytes against oxidative stress has not been investigated. In this study, we initially found that pretreatment with 0.1 μmol/L to 1.0 μmol/L simvastatin led to increased cell viability and decreased cell apoptosis of melanocytes in response to H2O2.Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group A Promotes Autophagy to Facilitate Cisplatin Resistance in Melanoma Cells through the Activation of PARP1
Xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA), a key protein in the nucleotide excision repair pathway, has been shown to promote the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs by facilitating the DNA repair process. However, the role of XPA in the resistance of melanoma to platinum-based drugs like cisplatin is largely unknown. In this study, we initially found that XPA was expressed at higher levels in cisplatin-resistant melanoma cells than in cisplatin-sensitive ones. Furthermore, the knockdown of XPA not only increased cellular apoptosis but also inhibited cisplatin-induced autophagy, which rendered the melanoma cells more sensitive to cisplatin.Serum miR-16: A Potential Biomarker for Predicting Melanoma Prognosis
Melanoma is among the most malignant cancers with notorious aggressiveness, and its prognosis is greatly influenced by progression status. Serum microRNAs are small noncoding RNAs with high stability and easy accessibility in human blood. Their expression profiles are frequently dysregulated in cancers; hence, levels of serum microRNAs may reflect progression status and thus predict melanoma prognosis. In a hospital based case-control study, we found a significant reduction of serum miR-16 level in melanoma patients compared with cancer-free controls (P < 0.001).
