Scientists Uncover “Switch” for Skin Cancer
A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has identified a molecular “guardian” that prevents common skin cancer from transforming into a lethal, migratory disease.
The Israeli research group, headed by Professor Rami I. Aqeilan, discovered how a protein called WWOX maintains what they describe as “epidermal identity” – skin cells maintaining their integrity and performing their intended functions – acting as a biological shield against the progression of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the world’s second most common skin cancer.
The study found that WWOX stabilises a master genetic switch known as p63.
In healthy tissue, this duo ensures skin cells maintain their structural integrity. However, when the aforementioned molecular “guardian” is lost, p63 levels drop sharply, triggering a dangerous metamorphosis called epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. During this process, fixed skin cells lose their identity and acquire migratory characteristics, which is a key step in allowing cancerous cells to invade deep tissues and spread to distant organs like the lungs.
Experimental models showed that WWOX deficiency dramatically accelerates tumour onset; in cases where both WWOX and the tumour suppressor p53 were missing, 100% of subjects developed aggressive, poorly differentiated tumours. Human tissue analysis confirmed these findings, showing that WWOX and p63 levels decline in tandem as cancer advances.
This correlation suggests that the two proteins could serve as vital clinical biomarkers to help doctors predict which tumours are likely to become invasive. Furthermore, targeting this molecular axis – either by restoring WWOX or stabilising p63 – offers a promising new therapeutic roadmap for preventing metastasis and slowing tumour growth.
