BRAF-V600E-associated melanoma

BRAF is the most common mutation in cutaneous melanoma and has become the target of treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. A number of methods are currently available to determine mutation status.

Immunochemistry

Recently, a monoclonal antibody (VE1) against mutant BRAF was generated. Its use permits assessment of the mutant protein expression throughout a tumor sample and may allow faster and cheaper determination of the mutation status in selected cases.

However, for BRAF protein expression analysis to be of clinical value, high sensitivity and specificity of the antibody is a prerequisite.

The high specificity and sensitivity of VE1 for the detection of mutant BRAF suggests a valuable reagent for clinical purposes. Heterogeneity in BRAF expression may be relevant for treatment response to BRAF inhibitors.

References

 Immunohistochemical Analysis of BRAFV600E Expression of Primary and Metastatic Melanoma and Comparison With Mutation Status and Melanocyte Differentiation Antigens of Metastatic Lesions. Busam KJ, Hedvat C, Pulitzer M, von Deimling A, Jungbluth AA. Am J Surg Pathol. 2012 Dec 1. PMID: 23211290