Exploring the Molecular Mechanisms of the ERK/MAPK Pathway in Melanoma Development

Abstract

Although melanoma is a less prevalent form of skin cancer, its malignancy is rather high. Specifically, malignant granulocytic melanoma has emerged as one of the most common causes of mortality from skin cancer. Melanoma patients have a good prognosis as long as the cancer is identified and treated early in the disease. However, as the cancer spreads, it becomes more aggressive and metastasizes, making treatment more challenging. In recent years, scientists have conducted in-depth studies on the molecular mechanisms of cancer development and progression, and have discovered many signaling pathways associated with cancer progression. Among them, the ERK/MAPK pathway has been confirmed to be one of the key signaling pathways in a variety of cancers. This paper reviews the mechanism of the ERK/MAPK pathway in tumor progression and focuses on its function in melanoma. This article highlights the significance of therapeutic approaches that target this route in the treatment of melanoma by offering insights into it. These insights may offer crucial hints for the creation of therapeutic methods that target this pathway. These treatment approaches might involve the creation of drugs that specifically target important pathway molecules as well as the use of technologies like gene editing to control the pathway's activity.