Molecular platforms utilized to detect BRAF V600E mutation in melanoma.

Molecular platforms utilized to detect BRAF V600E mutation in melanoma. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2012 Dec;31(4):267-73 Authors: Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA, Tetzlaff MT, Bowman C, Prieto VG Abstract Metastatic melanoma (MM) is a deadly skin disease refractory to standard chemotherapy. Despite numerous clinical and pathological parameters derived to guide patient management, clinical outcomes in melanoma patients remain difficult to predict. There is a critical need to delineate the important biomarkers typical of this disease. These biomarkers will ideally illuminate those key biochemical pathways responsible for the aggressive behavior of melanoma and, in the process, unveil new opportunities for the design of rational therapeutic interventions in high-risk patients. The most common recurring mutation in cutaneous melanoma is the prooncogenic BRAF V600E mutation that drives melanoma cell proliferation. The development of RAF inhibitors targeted against BRAF V600E mutant melanoma cells has revolutionized the treatment of MM. Clinical trials with BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib have shown objective clinical response and improved survival in patients with MM; therefore, knowledge of the molecular signature of melanoma in patients will be important in directing management decisions. Several molecular platforms exist to analyze the mutation status of melanoma. These include Sanger sequencing, pyrosequencing, allele-specific reverse transcriptase ...
Source: Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery - Category: Dermatology Tags: Semin Cutan Med Surg Source Type: research