Understanding the extracellular matrix in uveal melanoma
Reviewed by Zhihang Cheng

This review examines how the extracellular matrix (ECM) is remodelled throughout uveal melanoma development, from the eye to the liver. Uveal melanoma, the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, carries a poor prognosis due to its propensity for hepatic metastasis. The authors describe the specialised ECM architecture of the healthy uveal tract, which supports nutrient exchange, lens accommodation and light regulation, before detailing the compositional differences that distinguish low- from high-metastatic-risk primary tumours, including upregulation of structural collagens, fibronectin, laminins and ECM-remodelling enzymes that drive proliferation, invasion and metastatic competence. The review also explores the hepatic metastatic niche, where stellate cell-driven ECM remodelling creates a fibrotic, immune-restrictive environment that limits treatment efficacy and highlights emerging tools – decellularised scaffolds, 3-dimensional culture systems, and multi-omics – for uncovering ECM-targeted therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Transformation of the extracellular matrix during uveal melanoma development, progression, and at the hepatic metastatic niche.
Hattersley J, Aughton K, Coupland SE, Kalirai H.
PROGRESS IN RETINAL AND EYE RESEARCH
2026;114:101493.