Editorial: Mechanisms of resistance to the targeted therapy and immunotherapy in cutaneous melanoma
Year: 2022
Type: editorial
Abstract: Mechanisms of resistance to the targeted therapy and immunotherapy in cutaneous melanomaCutaneous melanoma, the cancer of pigmented melanocytes, is one of the most aggressive skin cancers (1).Targeted inhibitors and immunotherapies have substantially improved the overall survival rate of patients with metastatic melanoma.However, acquired resistance is often inevitable in addition to the side effects or lack of clinical effects, especially for immunotherapy.Based on recent studies, several mechanisms have been elucidated so far, which describe the development of resistance to kinase inhibitors.The most common of them are re-activation of the MAPK pathways and sustained ERK activity (2) or activation of alternate pathways (3, 4), which allow melanoma cells to tolerate and get addicted to the targeted therapies.In addition, there are alterations in the tumor microenvironment, phenotype switching, and selection of resistant cells by the targeted therapeutics.Similarly, even after initial success, immunotherapies like T-cell checkpoint blockade may become ultimately ineffective owing to overexpression of alternate checkpoints (5), ineffective antigen presentation machinery (6), or loss of interferon response.Despite ample advances in targeted therapy (BRAFi, MEKi) and immunotherapies (checkpoint inhibitors), cutaneous melanoma still shows a poor prognosis due to the development of intrinsic and/or acquired resistance.Identification of novel protumorigenic, proliferative, and metastatic mechanisms is needed so that new therapeutic targets can be identified.In the current issue, the studies have described and discussed several such mechanisms which could be utilized as novel vulnerabilities against melanoma.Han et al. described the possible functions of "minichromosome maintenance protein complex (MCM) as a prognostic marker in cutaneous melanoma.Using bioinformatics and biostatistics, the authors described the upregulation of MCMs in melanoma, their association with cancer progression and stages, and their effects on overall melanoma survival. Additionally, a correlation between differential expression of MCMs and tumor immuneFrontiers in Oncology frontiersin.org01
Source: Frontiers in Oncology
Authors: Sanjay Premi, Yong Qin, Nihal Ahmad
Language: English
Topic: Melanoma and MAPK Pathways
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,950
OpenAlex ID: W4293567237