Stem tumor cells of melanoma. Bone marrow involvement. Review and own data

Melanoma is an aggressive tumor characterized by an early metastasis process and drug resistance, which is associated with tumor stem cells. Malignant melanoma may involve bone marrow. The identification of tumor stem cells of melanoma in bone marrow is possible on the basis of distinctive stem cell markers with C133 being one of them. In this scientific study, 47 bone marrow samples from patients with melanoma with various stages of the process were analyzed by flow cytometry. The presence of Syto41+ CD45-HMB-45+ cells (57.4%) was found. Among them a population of Syto41+CD45-HMB-45+ CD133+ cells was detected.