Tyrosinase expression has been evaluated in various cancers—primarily melanoma—and its association with prognosis.
Tyrosinase and Cancer — Melanocytic Lineage Enzyme, Differentiation Marker, and Selective Target
Melanin Synthesis, Lineage Marker, and Therapeutic Handle
– Tyrosinase is normally expressed in melanocytes and is generally maintained in melanomas.
– Elevated tyrosinase expression in blood (detectable tyrosinase mRNA) has been correlated with advanced disease stage and the presence of micrometastases.
Direction of Regulation in Cancer
-Context-specific, but most informative in melanoma:
-Upregulated in differentiated melanocytic tumors
-Downregulated or lost in dedifferentiated, invasive, therapy-resistant melanoma states
Thus, tyrosinase is best read as a lineage/differentiation marker, not a universal oncogenic driver.
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