Progress of the pathogenesis in Merkel cell carcinoma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin, which is named for its ultrastructure and immunophenotype similar to Merkel cells in the skin. It has been found that the integration of MCC with the oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) may drive tumorigenesis or cause somatic mutations to the development of MCC because of ultraviolet ray-induced DNA damage. However, the pathogenesis of MCC is still unclear. This article introduces the current research progress of the pathogenesis of MCC, hoping to provide theoretical guidance for follow-up researches.