Cancer immunology and melanoma immunotherapy

Abstract

The stimulation of the immune system, in order to generate an attack against cancer cells, similarly to that which occurs in infectious disease, has long been matter of interest in oncology; however, only limited success has been achieved, with different treatment strategies tested in recent years. The development of new immune checkpoint inhibitors is currently changing this scenario, and immunotherapy is becoming a real choice among traditional cytotoxic treatments to fight cancer. Recent reports have shown efficacy and safety with the use of pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and ipilimumab for the treatment of different neoplasms, especially melanoma. In this article, we propose a review of the mechanisms of action involved in cancer immunology, the response evaluation of immunotherapies, and its toxicity profile, as well as a summary of the main clinical trials that led to the adoption of these new drugs for melanoma treatment.

Transglutaminase type 2-dependent crosslinking of IRF3 in dying melanoma cells

“…Currently, the immunotherapy is becoming one of the main strategies against melanoma. This approach aims to stimulate a person’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively [ 2 ]. The molecular mechanism of immunotherapy is based on the interaction between immune system and molecules expressed by cancer cells [ 3 ].…”

Non‐invasive optical biopsy by multiphoton microscopy identifies the live morphology of common melanocytic nevi

“…MPM was able to capture dermal cells with a distinct morphology in a regressing nevus in approximately the same location where infiltrating CD3 + cells were observed on histology. T‐cell infiltration in nevi is often a sign of regression or of an anti‐melanocyte immune response and can be indicative of a good response to immunotherapy (Linck, Costa, & Garicochea, 2017). Although these observation suggest that MPM can definitively identify T cells surrounding nevi based on their distinct morphology, more extensive imaging of skin lesions with characteristic T‐cell infiltrates such as cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL) is required to validate this imaging signature.…”

Magnetic Delivery of Antigen‐Loaded Magnetic Liposomes for Active Lymph Node Targeting and Enhanced Anti‐Tumor Immunity

“…The tip of the cone-shaped magnet with the maximal field intensity (300 mT) was placed against the popliteal fossa of mouse and closely in contact with the skin for 1.5 h. Tumor size in all mice were measured every three days throughout the experiment. All mice were sacrificed at the humane endpoint when the maximum volume of mice tumor reached 1500 mm 3 .…”

“…[ 2 ] Melanoma, in particular, often regarded as immunogenic malignancy, exhibits positive response to diverse immunotherapies. [ 3 ] Among various immunotherapies, therapeutic cancer vaccine hold a distinct position. [ 4 ] These vaccines reintroduce specific autologous or allogeneic tumor antigens to patients, often in combination with immune adjuvants, to enhance the activation of antigen‐specific T cell immunity for effective tumor eradication.…”