The following is a summary of “Melanoma Biology and Treatment: A Review of Novel Regulated Cell Death-based Approaches,” published in the February 2024 issue of Oncology by Hsieh et al.
Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has seen a rise in incidence attributed to increased ultraviolet exposure. Despite advances, treating advanced or metastatic melanoma remains arduous, with suboptimal outcomes. While targeted therapies like BRAF/MEK inhibitors and immunotherapy with anti-PD1/anti-CTLA4 antibodies have succeeded, therapy resistance and inadequate response pose persistent challenges, constraining further progress in survival rates.
This review delves into the molecular pathogenesis of melanoma and assesses current treatment modalities alongside their limitations. Emphasis is placed on regulated cell death (RCD), a controlled cellular demise mechanism vital for internal environment stability. Exploiting RCD induction as a therapeutic avenue against melanoma is explored, encompassing diverse nonapoptotic RCDs like autophagy-dependent cell death, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and the recently unearthed cuproptosis. The interplay between these RCDs and melanoma and their interaction with immunotherapy or targeted therapy is scrutinized.
With mounting evidence showcasing melanoma cell death triggered by various stimuli linked to these RCDs, the prospect of RCD induction emerges as a promising adjunctive strategy within melanoma treatment paradigms.
Source: cancerci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12935-024-03220-9