Melanoma as a model tumour for immuno-oncology

Abstract

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer. Furthermore, incidence rates are increasing. Until recently, no agent had been shown to improve survival over supportive care and treatment guidelines recommended that patients with metastatic disease were entered into clinical trials. With so few treatment options available, there was a clear need for new, more effective treatments in this setting. Melanoma serves as a 'model' tumour for understanding immunity to cancer. Melanoma tumour-associated antigens were among the first cancer antigens to be identified and classified, with further studies showing that many of these are also expressed by other tumour types. In addition, melanoma regression has been associated with vitiligo, visibly confirming an active role of the immune system in this type of cancer, and spontaneous regression of primary melanomas has also been observed in some cases. These observations, relating to the activity of the immune system in melanoma, provided strong evidence that this tumour would be amenable to immunotherapy, with immunotherapies such as cytokines, adoptive cell transfer and T-cell modulators shown to be an effective therapeutic approach. Against this background, melanoma has long been at the cutting edge of immuno-oncology research and will likely continue to be used as a model tumour to increase our understanding of immuno-oncology and to inform development in other types of cancer.

IL-33/ST2 Axis Regulates Vasculogenic Mimicry via ERK1/2-MMP-2/9 Pathway in Melanoma

“…Because of the high degree of malignancy and the insufficiency of existing treatments, melanoma often has a poor prognosis [24]. This makes it necessary to thoroughly study the development of malignant melanoma and the mechanisms by which it progresses in order to take effective treatment measures.…”

“…The American Journal of Pathology first proposed the concept of vasculogenic mimicry (VM) in human melanoma cells, which is the formation of vascular channels in vivo and in vitro, in 1999 [24]. Subsequent studies have confirmed that the presence of VM can compensate for endothelium-dependent blood vessels to provide nutrients to tumors to promote tumor progression [25, 26].…”

Current Treatment Modalities in Advanced Melanoma

“…İmmünoterapi almakta olan hastaların bir kısmında da vitiligo geliştiği gözlenmiştir. Vitiligo gelişen hastalarda, tedavi yanıtı ve sağkalımın, vitiligo gelişmeyen hastalara göre daha fazla olduğu saptanmıştır (15). Bazı melanomaların vitiligo geliştirmeksizin spontan olarak regrese olduğu izlenmiştir ve regrese olan melanomalarda T hücre infiltratı dikkat çekmiştir (16).…”

“…Bazı melanomaların vitiligo geliştirmeksizin spontan olarak regrese olduğu izlenmiştir ve regrese olan melanomalarda T hücre infiltratı dikkat çekmiştir (16). Bu gözlemler immün sistemin melanomayı tanıyarak bu kanseri yok edebileceğini veya kontrol altına alabileceğini düşündürmüştür (15). Araştırmalar da bu düşünceyi desteklemiş ve melanomanın oldukça immünojenik bir kanser türü olduğunu göstermiştir (16).…”

A Self-Assembled Non-Viral vector as Potential Platform for mRNA-Based Vaccines

“…Several studies have demonstrated the immunogenicity of tumors, therefore, cancer cells may potentially be recognized and attacked by immune system, and melanoma is one of the best-defined immunogenic tumor [1][2][3][4].…”