Research Accomplishments

Below are publications involving rare melanoma research from either our own scientists and collaborators at the Center for Rare Melanomas, or as the result of sharing our Biorepository specimens and models:

• Couts KL, VanGulick R, Turner JA, Bemis J, Classon A, Applegate A, Wells K, Gorden N, Mughal T, Robinson WA. Comprehensive genomic profiling of acral and mucosal melanomas identifies potential therapeutic targets. (Submitted)
• Mukherjee N, Strosnider A, Vagher B, Lambert KA, Slaven S, Robinson WA, Amato CM, Couts KL, Bemis JGT, Turner JA, Norris DA, Shellman YG. BH3 mimetics induce apoptosis independent of DRP-1 in melanoma. Cell Death Dis. 2018 Sep 5;9(9):907. PMID: 30185782
• Turner JA, Bemis JGT, Bagby SM, Capasso A, Yacob BW, Chimed TS, Van Gulick R, Lee H, Tobin R, Tentler JJ, Pitts T, McCarter M, Robinson WA, Couts KL. BRAF fusions identified in melanomas have variable treatment responses and phenotypes. Oncogene. 2018 Sep 25. PMID: 30254212.
• Couts KL, Bemis J, Turner JA, Bagby SM, Murphy D, Christiansen J, Hintzsche JD, Le A, Pitts TM, Wells K, Applegate A, Amato C, Multani P, Chow-Maneval E, Tentler JJ, Shellman YG, Rioth MJ, Tan AC, Gonzalez R, Medina T, Doebele RC, Robinson WA. ALK Inhibitor Response in Melanomas Expressing EML4-ALK Fusions and Alternate ALK Isoforms. Mol Cancer Ther. 2018 Jan;17(1):222-231. PMID: 29054983
• Hintzsche JD, Gorden NT, Amato CM, Kim J, Wuensch KE, Robinson SE, Applegate AJ, Couts KL, Medina TM, Wells KR, Wisell JA, McCarter MD, Box NF, Shellman YG, Gonzalez RC, Lewis KD, Tentler JJ, Tan AC, Robinson WA. Whole-exome sequencing identifies recurrent SF3B1 R625 mutation and comutation of NF1 and KIT in mucosal melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2017 Jun;27(3):189-199. PMID: 28296713
• Turner J, Couts K, Sheren J, Saichaemchan S, Ariyawutyakorn W, Avolio I, Cabral E, Glogowska M, Amato C, Robinson S, Hintzsche J, Applegate A, Seelenfreund E, Gonzalez R, Wells K, Bagby S, Tentler J, Tan AC, Wisell J,Varella-Garcia M, Robinson W. Kinase gene fusions in defined subsets of melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2017 Jan;30(1):53-62. PMID: 27864876

We share the most recent advances in our rare melanoma research through invited presentations at local, national and international conferences:

• UPCOMING: MacBeth M, Tobin R, VanGulick R, Turner JA, Bemis J, Bagby SM, Vorwald V, Simmons D, Yacob B, Hartman S, Capasso A, Pitts TM, McCarter M, Robinson WA, Couts KL. Loss of innate immune sensing contributes to mucosal melanoma development and immunotherapy resistance. Keystone Symposia, Cancer Evolution and Combinatorial Cancer Therapies, Banff, CA Jan. 2020.
• Couts KL, Tobin R, VanGulick R, Turner JA, Bemis J, Bagby SM, Vorwald V, Macbeth M, Yacob B, Hartman S, Capasso A, Pitts TM, McCarter M, Robinson WA. Decreased antiviral type I IFN signaling in mucosal melanoma is associated with resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Society for Melanoma Research, Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 2019.
• Couts KL, Tobin R, VanGulick R, Turner JA, Bemis J, Bagby SM, Vorwald V, Macbeth M, Applegate A, Simmons D, Yacob B, Hartman S, Capasso A, Pitts TM, McCarter M, Robinson WA. Differential gene expression across melanoma subtypes predicts responses to immune checkpoint blockade. Keystone symposia, Breckenridge, CO, Feb. 2019.
• Couts KL, VanGulick R, Turner JA, Bemis J, Classon A, Applegate A, Wells K, Gorden N, Mughal T, Robinson WA. Comprehensive genomic profiling of acral and mucosal melanomas identifies potential therapeutic targets. Society for Melanoma Research, Manchester UK, Oct. 2018.
• Couts KL, Turner JA, Bemis J, Bagby S, Amato C, Tentler JJ, Robinson WA. Actionable kinase fusions are frequent in pan-negative melanomas. Society for Melanoma Research. Brisbane, Australia, Oct. 2017.
• Couts KL, Murphy D, Turner JA, Bemis J, McCoach CE, Lewis KD, Tucker T, Multani P, Chow-Maneval E, Robinson WA, Doebele RC. ROS1 and ALK fusions are novel therapeutic targets in non-sun exposed subtypes of melanoma. International Pigment Cell and Melanoma Conference. Denver, CO, Aug. 2017.
• Hintzsche JD, Gorden NT, Amato CM, Kim J, Wuensch K, Couts K, Medina T, Wells K, Tan AC, Robinson WA. Whole exome sequencing identifies recurrent R625 mutations in novel drug target and driver, SF3B1 in the largest cohort to date of mucosal melanoma. International Pigment Cell and Melanoma Conference. Denver, CO, Aug. 2017.
• Couts KL, Bemis J, Turner JA, Bagby S, Murphy D, Christiansen J, Hintzsche JD, Medina T, Doebele RC, Robinson WA. Response to targeted therapy in melanomas expressing ALK fusions and other ALK variants. EACR-AACR Special Conference 2017: The Challenges of Optimizing Immuno- and Targeted Therapies: From Cancer Biology to the Clinic. Florence, Italy, June 2017.

We strive to build upon previous and current support to bring in new funding (peer-reviewed, private, and industry-sponsored) to continue exploring and making novel discoveries in the rare melanoma field:

Sponsor	PI	Title	Period
The Patten-Davis Foundation	William A. Robinson, Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D. (Co-I)	CU Center for Rare Melanomas	07/01/2019-07/01/2022
The Moore Family Foundation	William A. Robinson	Melanoma Biorepository.	07/01/2014-Present
Genentech, Inc.	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Treating melanomas with a novel pan-RAF inhibitor.	November 2018-Present
Foundation Medicine, Inc.	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Comprehensive genomic profiling of acral and mucosal melanomas.	January 2016-Present
Ignyta, Inc.	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Targeted gene fusion sequencing in acral and mucosal melanomas.	January 2016-Present
American Cancer Society-Institutional Seed Grant	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Targeting cell cycle structural variants in acral and mucosal melanomas.	1/1/2018 – 12/31/2018
Cancer League of Colorado Grant	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Improving targeted therapy in melanomas with BRAF fusions.	7/1/2017 – 06/30/2018
American Cancer Society, Paul R. Ohara II Seed Grant Program	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Gene fusions as actionable therapeutic targets in acral and mucosal melanomas.	1/1/2016 – 06/30/2017
Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Grant	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Activating gene fusions as targets in malignant melanoma.	3/5/2016 – 03/04/2017
NuGEN, Inc.	Kasey L. Couts, Ph.D.	Targeted sequencing of gene fusions across melanoma subtypes.	Nov. 2015 – Dec. 2017
RNA Biosciences Initiative – CU Anschutz	Kelsey Weunsch Nassar, BA	Determining the role of SF3B1 mutations in mucosal melanoma	09/01/2019 – 08/31/2020
NIH/NCI T32CA190216	Kelsey Weunsch Nassar, BA	Determining the role of SF3B1 mutations in mucosal melanoma	08/01/2017 – 07/31/2019