New Publication: Unveiling the Differences Between Brain and Extracranial Melanoma Metastases

A new bioinformatics analysis by Dr. Konrad Grützmann and PD Dr. Michael Seifert has been published within the frame of the MelBrainSys project, a BMBF-funded e:Med junior research alliance. This marks a successful conclusion of the computational subproject of MelBrainSys. 

The publication in Biology Direct is a bioinformatics re-analysis of public single-nucleus data. It refines the understanding of molecular differences between brain and extracranial melanoma metastases. The study suggests that while tumor cells themselves are highly homogeneous, the major differences between brain and extracranial metastases may rather be driven by variations in their microenvironment, specifically immune cells and their related interaction pathways. 

The research also highlights the more flexible energy metabolism of melanoma brain metastases, pointing to a specific adaptation to their unique environment. Finally, a comparison of the single-cell data to previous bulk studies showed notable differences, suggesting that former conclusions could be biased by signals from a mixture of cell types.

Single-cell transcriptome analysis suggests cells of the tumor microenvironment as a major discriminator between brain and extracranial melanoma metastases 

Konrad Grützmann and Michael Seifert, Biology Direct, 2025, 1-16, 20(1) 

https://biologydirect.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13062-025-00691-2