Citation

van Rooijen E, Fazio M, Zon LI. 2017. From fish bowl to bedside: The power of zebrafish to unravel melanoma pathogenesis and discover new therapeutics. Pigment cell & melanoma research. 30(4):402-412. Pubmed: 28379616 DOI:10.1111/pcmr.12592

Abstract

Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadliest form of skin cancer. A detailed knowledge of the cellular, molecular, and genetic events underlying melanoma progression is highly relevant to diagnosis, prognosis and risk stratification, and the development of new therapies. In the last decade, zebrafish have emerged as a valuable model system for the study of melanoma. Pathway conservation, coupled with the availability of robust genetic, transgenic, and chemical tools, has made the zebrafish a powerful model for identifying novel disease genes, visualizing cancer initiation, interrogating tumor-microenvironment interactions, and discovering new therapeutics that regulate melanocyte and melanoma development. In this review, we will give an overview of these studies, and highlight recent advancements that will help unravel melanoma pathogenesis and impact human disease.
© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Related Faculty

Photo of Len Zon

The Zon laboratory aims to dissect how assaults to the hematopoietic system cause severe diseases such as leukemias, lymphomas, and anemias. They investigate hematopoietic development and disease using chemical screens, genetic screens, and analysis of novel transgenic lines in zebrafish.

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