Work

Bad company: Microenvironmentally mediated resistance to targeted therapy in melanoma

Year: 2018

Type: review

Abstract: This review will focus on the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the development of drug resistance in melanoma. Resistance to mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors (MAPKi) in melanoma is observed months after treatment, a phenomenon that is often attributed to the incredible plasticity of melanoma cells but may also depend on the TME. The TME is unique in its cellular composition-it contains fibroblasts, immune cells, endothelial cells, adipocytes, and among others. In addition, the TME provides "non-homeostatic" levels of oxygen, nutrients (hypoxia and metabolic stress), and extracellular matrix proteins, creating a pro-tumorigenic niche that drives resistance to MAPKi treatment. In this review, we will focus on how changes in the tumor microenvironment regulate MAPKi resistance.

Source: Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research

DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12736

Authors: Filipe V. Almeida, Stephen M. Douglass, Mitchell E. Fane, Ashani T. Weeraratna

Institution: The Wistar Institute

Language: English

Topic: Melanoma and MAPK Pathways

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Melanoma Research Alliance, National Cancer Institute