Metastatic melanoma remains a devastating disease with a 5-year survival rate of less than
five percent. Despite recent advances in targeted therapies for melanoma, only a small
percentage of melanoma patients experience durable remissions. Therefore, it is critical to
identify new therapies for the treatment of advanced melanoma. Here, we define connective
tissue growth factor (CTGF) as a therapeutic target for metastatic melanoma. Clinically,
CTGF expression correlates with tumor progression and is strongly induced by hypoxia …

While only representing 4% of all skin cancers, melanoma accounts for over 70% of skin
cancer deaths. Once metastasized, melanoma patient prognosis is poor with a median
survival of 6-15 months and a five-year survival rate of less than 5%. Clinically, low oxygen,
or hypoxia, signaling has been associated with poor outcome in many solid tumors,
including melanoma, and is a key factor regulating melanoma metastasis. Using microarray
technology to identify mechanisms by which hypoxia promotes metastasis and potential …