Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers have discovered a gene, NEDD9, that is present in more than one-third of melanoma skin cancer cases that have spread, that does not appear in melanoma skin cancer that has not spread. Melanoma isn't a big skin cancer killer on its own, it is the spreading of cancer from the original skin cancer tumor that makes melanoma deadly.

Using transgenic mice and inducing melanoma, the researchers were able to identify the NEDD9 gene in the mouse tumors and establish that the same gene in humans drives the spread of melanoma tumors. The researchers believe that this identification process can lead to the identification of other novel genes involved in cancer.

"This is a demonstration of the principle, that the mouse has similar genomic changes that are important for cancer, and we can use the mouse model as a filter to help us identify which gene is responsible for the cancer development and metastasis," said Dr. Lynda Chin, an associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School.