Melanoma

The first study aims to develop an integrated analysis platform for melanoma proteomics data to support the discovery and validation of diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic biomarkers at the protein level. Using mass spectrometry–based proteomic data from five independent cohorts (489 tissue samples from 394 patients), the researchers created MEL-PLOT, an interactive R-based web tool that allows users to explore protein expression patterns, correlate them with clinical metadata, and assess survival outcomes. The platform identified 274 proteins with significant expression differences between tumor types, and 45 of those proteins were associated with survival in lymph node metastases.

The second study investigates the mitochondrial proteome in melanoma to uncover potential therapeutic vulnerabilities, particularly in advanced and treatment-resistant disease. Quantitative proteomics was performed on 151 melanoma-related samples, revealing that mitochondrial translation and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathways are significantly upregulated in aggressive, BRAF-mutant, and metastatic tumors. Functional studies demonstrated that targeting these pathways with mitochondrial inhibitors—such as doxycycline, tigecycline, and OXPHOS inhibitors—suppressed melanoma cell growth in a dose-dependent manner while sparing normal melanocytes. These findings highlight the potential of combining mitochondrial-targeted therapies with existing treatments to overcome resistance and improve clinical outcomes in advanced melanoma.