Translational Research in Cutaneous Melanoma: New Therapeutic Perspectives

Title:Translational Research in Cutaneous Melanoma: New Therapeutic Perspectives

Volume: 18 Issue: 2

Author(s): Antonio Marra, Cristina R. Ferrone, Celeste Fusciello, Giosue Scognamiglio, Soldano Ferrone, Stefano Pepe, Francesco Perri and Francesco Sabbatino*

Affiliation:

• Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114,United States

Keywords: Melanoma, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, immune checkpoint molecules, PD-1, PD-L1, BRAF inhibitor resistance, immunotherapy resistance, predictive biomarkers.

Abstract: Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer characterized by poor prognosis and high mortality. The development of targeted agents based on the discovery of driver mutations as well as the implementation of checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy represents a major breakthrough in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. However, in both cases the development of drug resistance and immune escape mechanisms as well as the lack of predictive biomarkers limits their extraordinary clinical efficacy. In this article, we summarize the available therapeutic options for patients with metastatic melanoma, outline the mechanisms implicated in the resistance to both targeted agents and immunotherapy, discuss potential predictive biomarkers and outline future therapeutic approaches under investigation.

Cite this article as:

Marra Antonio , Ferrone R. Cristina , Fusciello Celeste , Scognamiglio Giosue, Ferrone Soldano , Pepe Stefano , Perri Francesco and Sabbatino Francesco *, Translational Research in Cutaneous Melanoma: New Therapeutic Perspectives, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2018; 18 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520618666171219115335