New Dogma in Melanoma

In immunocompromised mice, many cancer cells had tumorigenic potential.

The cancer stem-cell model of tumorigenicity suggests that only small subpopulations of cancer cells have tumorigenic potential. A recent study found that one in a million (0.0001%) human melanoma cells was tumorigenic when transplanted in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice. To evaluate the validity of this finding and be able to draw reliable conclusions from it, we must determine whether the assays used are optimized to detect xenotransplanted tumor cells, including melanoma.

Investigators attacked this issue by reengineering some basic in vivo tumor assays. They confirmed that approximately 1 in 837,000 transplanted human melanoma cells formed tumors within 8 weeks of transplantation into NOD/SCID mice. How…

Reviewing Author

Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD

Disclosures

Consultant / advisory board Lubax; WorldCare Clinical

EquityLubax

Grant / Research support NIH; Department of Defense; American Skin Association; Piramal

Editorial boardsBritish Journal of Dermatology; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; Journal of Investigative Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Chair, Skin Cancer and Melanoma Committee); American Board of Dermatology (Director)