Genomic classification and immune profiling define mucosal melanoma

Abstract

Mucosal melanoma is a rare, lethal melanoma subtype with distinct genetics and limited benefit from immunotherapy. To define features associated with mucosal melanoma clinical outcomes, we assembled a large, multimodally profiled cohort spanning primary and metastatic disease. Compared with cutaneous melanoma, primary mucosal melanoma showed greater genomic heterogeneity, ploidy and aneuploidy, and a more dedifferentiated, proliferative transcriptional state. Analysis of genomic sequencing of 339 patients with mucosal melanoma identified four mutually exclusive genomic subtypes: CDK4/MDM2/CCND1, SF3B1-mutated, TP53/ATRX, and mucosal melanoma Triple WT, associated with distinct anatomic sites but similar outcomes. In the tumor microenvironment, we observed reduced T cell infiltration and increased CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages in mucosal melanoma relative to cutaneous melanoma. In matched longitudinal samples, CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages increased with disease progression and immunotherapy resistance. CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages engaged non-regulatory T cells through GAL9-TIM-3 interactions, nominating TIM-3 blockade as a therapeutic strategy for mucosal melanoma. These findings define the distinct aggressive biology of mucosal melanoma and highlight potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of immune resistance.