HMB-45: a clue to the biology of malignant melanoma?

Metabolite β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate Monohydrate (HMB)-45 is a murine monoclonal antibody that was developed by Allen Gown and colleagues at the University of Washington and which preferentially labels a subgroup of benign melanocytic lesions and the majority of malignant melanomas. The target antigen for this reagent is still under study, and its physiologic role has been unclear until recently. In any event, the current assessment by some researchers provides the grist for future research on the interplay between molecular modulators of cell biology, cellular growth factor receptors, and the HMB-45 antigen. It is more than possible that in the course of addressing this topic, important information will be uncovered on the clinical behavior of malignant melanomas.