Melanoma is a very aggressive malignant skin cancer resulting from the mutation of melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin colour. The frequency of this tumour is increasing worldwide. Early and accurate diagnosis is a key factor in improving cure and survival rates.

Until now, the diagnosis of melanoma has been made using excisional biopsy, an invasive examination involving the removal of tissue, i.e. the extraction of the suspected skin lesion.

The team coordinated by Elisabetta Ferretti of the Department of Experimental Medicine at Sapienza University, in collaboration with oncologists and researchers from national universities and research institutions, has identified new molecules, microRNAs, biomarkers that can be specifically dosed in melanoma patients through blood sampling, thus through a non-invasive test.

The search for non-invasive biomarkers that can detect the disease and monitor the response to treatments is essential, as it aims to improve the prognosis of melanoma patients.

Over the past two decades, microRNAs have attracted strong interest as biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of response to treatment of various diseases. Their presence in biological fluids, such as blood, confirms their fundamental role as non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of cancer.

"Specifically," says Elisabetta Ferretti, "we decided to analyse circulating microRNAs obtained by liquid biopsy in three independent cohorts of melanoma patients, and we identified and validated a set of microRNAs that can be assayed in plasma and that with high precision identify melanoma patients and distinguish them from healthy subjects".

"Improving the management of melanoma patients is an important clinical need. Our research," says Elisabetta Ferretti, "is the first to offer a combination of circulating biomarkers that can be used as a diagnostic tool in melanoma. We believe our proposed molecular signature may have strong clinical relevance".

Teams from the University and Epigen Therapeutics in Siena coordinated by Michele Maio, Istituto Tumouri in Milan coordinated by Andrea Anichini, Computational System Biology Scientist team coordinated by Michele Ceccarelli from the Istituto di Ricerche Genetiche (BioGeM) 'Gaetano Salvatore' in Ariano Irpino (Avellino) and the University of Naples Federico II collaborated on the research.

References: 

A novel microRNA signature for the detection of melanoma by liquid biopsy. Journal of Translational Medicine. DOI 10.1186/s12967-022-03668-1

Further Information

Elisabetta Ferretti

T: (+39) 06 49918297 - 0649255135

elisabetta.ferretti@uniroma1.it