Towards Liver: Selected Aspects of Uveal Melanoma Metastasis

Martyna Elas, Małgorzata Szczygieł, Katarzyna Jasińska-Konior, Anna Kozińska, Anna Markiewicz and Bożena Romanowska-Dixon

Department of Biophysics, Jagiellonian University, Poland Department of Ophthalmology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Poland

^*Correspondance to: Martyna Elas 

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Abstract:

Background: Uveal Melanoma (UM) although a rare disease, causes high mortality due to metastases. Long-term prognosis may be estimated based on the genetic profile of the UM tumor, however, lack of effective and specific treatment prevents cure. Methods: This review summarizes current knowledge and outlines future directions relevant to UM metastatic disease. Results: The overall consensus is that UM micrometastases remain dormant for a number of years, before actively proliferating and becoming detectable clinically. The main site of UM metastases is the liver, constituting a very specific niche, and numerous molecular factors are involved in UM liver homing, like CXCL12-CXCR4. Conclusion: New avenues of research must include the mechanism of UM cells seeding from the primary tumor, homing to the liver, liver invasion, as well as UM cell dormancy.

Keywords:

Uveal melanoma; Metastasis; Liver niche; Dormancy

Cite the Article:

Elas M, Szczygieł M, Jasińska- Konior K, Kozińska A, Markiewicz A, Romanowska-Dixon B. Towards Liver: Selected Aspects of Uveal Melanoma Metastasis. Clin Oncol. 2020; 5: 1738.