Demetra Philippidou

TL;DR: This study identified a deregulated gene network centered around microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, a transcription factor known to play a key role in melanoma development, and define miRNAs and miRNA target genes that offer candidate biomarkers in human melanoma.

TL;DR: This work investigates simultaneously the transcriptional changes of miRNA and mRNA expression levels over time after activation of the Janus kinase/Signal transducer and activator of transcription (Jak/STAT) pathway by interferon-γ stimulation of melanoma cells and demonstrates the dynamic interplay of miRNAs and upstream regulators with biological functions.

TL;DR: The findings reveal that the miR-29a/b1 cluster is to be included in the group of IFN- and STAT-regulated genes and may act as effectors of cytokine signalling in melanoma and other cancer cells as well as in the immune system.

TL;DR: There is strong evidence that levels of cell-free miRNAs only change significantly at later stages of melanoma progression, which has serious implications for miRNA biomarker studies in cancer.

TL;DR: It is shown that MITF-correlated miR-211 expression levels are mostly but not always reduced in a panel of 11 melanoma cell lines and in primary and metastatic melanoma compared to normal melanocytes and nevi, respectively, raising serious doubts on the value of miR -211 as a melanoma tumor-suppressing miRNA and/or as a biomarker for melanoma.