From Melanocyte Development to Melanoma Therapies

The course presents the current knowledge in neural crest and melanocytes development (cell biology, transcriptomics, imaging...) as well as how melanocytes undergo tumor progression in adults. It ends with presentation of the most up-to-date therapeutical strategies.

In humans, pigment cells comprise the neural crest-derived melanocytes and the pigmented retina cells. Tumor transformation in both cell types results in cutaneous or uveal melanomas, two usually aggressive and hard-to-treat tumour types. 

This course will address the development, the differentiation and the migratory behaviour of melanocytes in embryos and melanoma formation and metastasis in adults. Focus will be made on cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling these processes. The course will then address how advanced imaging technologies, systems biology, and in vivo approaches have progressed in melanoma understanding in the last few years. Finally, some directions for therapeutic approaches will be developped. 

In the practical part of this course, the notions developped in the seminars and courses will be illustrated by in vivo manipulations in embryos and in vitro cellular manipulation, both followed by advanced imaging analysis. An opening will be made on other cancers that have similarities with melanoma as medulloblastoma and glioblastoma.