Metastatic melanoma is very difficult to treat, in part because melanoma cells rapidly develop resistance to the new specific therapeutics. New options are intended to remedy this situation and improve the survival of those affected.
Metastatic melanoma is a very aggressive malignant tumor whose therapy has always been a great challenge . Meanwhile, after decades of intensive research, scientists have developed treatments that improve the chances of survival for such patients. The research focused on pathways of signal transduction that promote cancer cell survival as well as chemoresistance, growth, and crosstalk with the immune system.
The most promising therapies developed in this area include ipilimumab (monoclonal antibody that acts as a CTLA-4 antagonist to increase T-cell activity in the tumor) and selective BRAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib, which inhibits tumor cell proliferation in patients with BRAF-activating mutation.
Nanotherapeutics – carriers improve efficacy and safety
Thus, although these treatments are responsible for great advances in the field of metastatic melanoma, they bring not only benefits but also new problems. In addition to the side effects, resistance with subsequent relapse should be mentioned here. Because the above-mentioned therapies only act at one point in the entire tumor process, the tumor becomes resistant relatively quickly.It is precisely this gap that nanotherapeutics now aim to close by transporting toxins in a targeted manner into the tumor cells and only releasing them there. One example is Abraxane® in breast cancer therapy: it contains paclitaxel bound to human serum albumin nanoparticles approximately 130 nm in size. The presence of albumin promotes the transport of paclitaxel across endothelial cells, which may enhance paclitaxel accumulation in the tumor site and improve safety. Currently, this therapeutic option is also being investigated in malignant melanoma. Other approaches, e.g. in the area of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), have been partially successful in animal studies. Nanoparticles also have the advantage of potentially being used as diagnostic tools.
Source: Bombelli FB, et al: The scope of nanoparticle therapies for future metastatic melanoma treatment. Lancet Oncol 2014 Jan; 15(1): e22-32.
