Summary

In the current issue, two articles highlight the impact of MITF on melanoma development. In the first, Lister et al. (2013) reveal in vivo proof of MITF directly regulating tumor development in BRAFV600E melanomas. In the second, Sturm et al. (2013) present a clinical trial that emphasizes the importance of the recently discovered E318K MITF germline mutation in patients with multiple primary melanomas. MITF and its role in BRAFV600E melanoma The master melanocyte transcription factor (MITF) is a member of the microphthalmia-related transcription factor (MiT) family, and it plays key roles in survival, growth and differentiation of melanocytes, retinal pigment epithelium, osteoclasts and other hematopoietic lineages (Haq and Fisher, 2011). Several MiT family members, in addition to MITF, have been associated with cancer—specifically TFE3 (in renal carcinomas and Alveolar Soft Parts Sarcoma) and TFEB (in renal carcinomas). Upstream and downstream alterations of MITF are known to change melanoma phenotype and function. Both, high and low MITF expression levels have been associated with melanoma development. Recently, the complex interactions among genetic and environmental factors in melanom