A molecule that helps control gene activity has now been tied to both the growth of skin cancer and its ability to avoid the body's immune defenses, according to new research.

Scientists from NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center found that a key protein, known as the transcription factor HOXD13, plays a central role in melanoma. This protein is critical for the formation of blood vessels that supply tumors with oxygen and nutrients. Transcription factors like HOXD13 regulate how genetic instructions in DNA are turned into proteins that build and maintain the body.

HOXD13 Boosts Tumor Blood Supply

The study, published in Cancer Discovery , showed that HOXD13 activates several biological pathways that increase blood flow to tumors, a process called angiogenesis. These pathways include those involving vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), semaphorin-3A (SEMA3A), and CD73.…