Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for Melanoma

The incidence rate of cutaneous melanoma is on the rise worldwide, due to increased exposure to UV radiation, aging populations, and exposure to teratogen agents. However, diagnosis is more precise, and the increased number of new cases is related to the improved diagnosis tools. Despite better earl...

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Main Authors: Tanase Timis, Sanda Buruiana, Delia Dima, Madalina Nistor, Ximena Maria Muresan, Diana Cenariu, Adrian-Bogdan Tigu, Ciprian Tomuleasa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Biomedicines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/1/98
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author Tanase Timis
Sanda Buruiana
Delia Dima
Madalina Nistor
Ximena Maria Muresan
Diana Cenariu
Adrian-Bogdan Tigu
Ciprian Tomuleasa
author_facet Tanase Timis
Sanda Buruiana
Delia Dima
Madalina Nistor
Ximena Maria Muresan
Diana Cenariu
Adrian-Bogdan Tigu
Ciprian Tomuleasa
author_sort Tanase Timis
collection DOAJ
description The incidence rate of cutaneous melanoma is on the rise worldwide, due to increased exposure to UV radiation, aging populations, and exposure to teratogen agents. However, diagnosis is more precise, and the increased number of new cases is related to the improved diagnosis tools. Despite better early diagnosis and better therapies, melanoma has remained a significant public health challenge because of its aggressive behavior and high potential for metastasis. In 2020, cutaneous melanoma constituted approximately 1.3% of all cancer deaths that occurred within the European Union, thereby highlighting the necessity for effective prevention, timely diagnosis, and sustainable treatment measures, especially as a growing number of cases occur among younger patients. Melanoma is regarded as one of the most inflamed cancers due to its high immune cell presence and strong response to immunotherapy, fueling the need for development of immune-driven innovative treatments. Approved therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4), have notably improved survival rates in melanoma. However, the limitations of the PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 axes inhibitors, such as low response rates, treatment resistance, and toxicity, have driven the need for continued research and advancements in treatment strategies. Current clinical trials are exploring various combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors with costimulatory receptor agonists, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and other immunotherapies, with the goal of improving outcomes and reducing side effects for melanoma patients. Emerging approaches, including adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and oncolytic virotherapy, are showing promise. While CAR-T cell therapy has been less successful in melanoma compared to blood cancers, ongoing research is addressing challenges like the tumor microenvironment and antigen specificity. This review provides an overview of the requirement for advances in these medications, to mark a significant step forward in melanoma management, set to bring a fresh breath of hope for patients.
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spelling doaj-art-1a7a51496b9c44b486de2676cad2870c2025-01-24T13:24:00ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-01-011319810.3390/biomedicines13010098Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for MelanomaTanase Timis0Sanda Buruiana1Delia Dima2Madalina Nistor3Ximena Maria Muresan4Diana Cenariu5Adrian-Bogdan Tigu6Ciprian Tomuleasa7Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Hematology, Nicolae Testemițanu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, MD-2004 Chisinau, MoldovaDepartment of Hematology, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Personalized Medicine and Rare Diseases, MEDFUTURE—Institute for Biomedical Research, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Personalized Medicine and Rare Diseases, MEDFUTURE—Institute for Biomedical Research, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Personalized Medicine and Rare Diseases, MEDFUTURE—Institute for Biomedical Research, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Personalized Medicine and Rare Diseases, MEDFUTURE—Institute for Biomedical Research, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Hematology, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaThe incidence rate of cutaneous melanoma is on the rise worldwide, due to increased exposure to UV radiation, aging populations, and exposure to teratogen agents. However, diagnosis is more precise, and the increased number of new cases is related to the improved diagnosis tools. Despite better early diagnosis and better therapies, melanoma has remained a significant public health challenge because of its aggressive behavior and high potential for metastasis. In 2020, cutaneous melanoma constituted approximately 1.3% of all cancer deaths that occurred within the European Union, thereby highlighting the necessity for effective prevention, timely diagnosis, and sustainable treatment measures, especially as a growing number of cases occur among younger patients. Melanoma is regarded as one of the most inflamed cancers due to its high immune cell presence and strong response to immunotherapy, fueling the need for development of immune-driven innovative treatments. Approved therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4), have notably improved survival rates in melanoma. However, the limitations of the PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 axes inhibitors, such as low response rates, treatment resistance, and toxicity, have driven the need for continued research and advancements in treatment strategies. Current clinical trials are exploring various combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors with costimulatory receptor agonists, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and other immunotherapies, with the goal of improving outcomes and reducing side effects for melanoma patients. Emerging approaches, including adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and oncolytic virotherapy, are showing promise. While CAR-T cell therapy has been less successful in melanoma compared to blood cancers, ongoing research is addressing challenges like the tumor microenvironment and antigen specificity. This review provides an overview of the requirement for advances in these medications, to mark a significant step forward in melanoma management, set to bring a fresh breath of hope for patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/1/98melanomaimmune therapycell therapytreatment resistance
spellingShingle Tanase Timis
Sanda Buruiana
Delia Dima
Madalina Nistor
Ximena Maria Muresan
Diana Cenariu
Adrian-Bogdan Tigu
Ciprian Tomuleasa
Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for Melanoma
Biomedicines
melanoma
immune therapy
cell therapy
treatment resistance
title Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for Melanoma
title_full Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for Melanoma
title_fullStr Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for Melanoma
title_full_unstemmed Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for Melanoma
title_short Advances in Cell and Immune Therapies for Melanoma
title_sort advances in cell and immune therapies for melanoma
topic melanoma
immune therapy
cell therapy
treatment resistance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/1/98
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AT sandaburuiana advancesincellandimmunetherapiesformelanoma
AT deliadima advancesincellandimmunetherapiesformelanoma
AT madalinanistor advancesincellandimmunetherapiesformelanoma
AT ximenamariamuresan advancesincellandimmunetherapiesformelanoma
AT dianacenariu advancesincellandimmunetherapiesformelanoma
AT adrianbogdantigu advancesincellandimmunetherapiesformelanoma
AT cipriantomuleasa advancesincellandimmunetherapiesformelanoma