The autocrine role of VEGFR-2, also supported by in vitro studies [23], [24] showing that melanoma cells with higher levels of VEGFR-2 exhibit a greater ability to spontaneously invade the extracellular matrix [21], suggests that EMMPRIN's increase of VEGFR-2 would primarily reflect a role in melanoma cell proliferation and invasion. This evidence concerns the gene KDR and melanoma.