Abstract
Background: Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors, with unpredictable evolution. Despite numerous therapeutic options, like chemotherapy, BRAF inhibitors and immunotherapy, advanced melanoma prognosis remains severe. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been successfully used as the first line or palliative therapy for the treatment of lung, esophageal, bladder, non melanoma skin and head and neck cancers. However, classical PDT has shown some drawbacks that limit its clinical application in melanoma.
Objective: The most important challenge is to overcome melanoma resistance, due to melanosomal trapping, presence of melanin, enhanced oxidative stress defense, defects in the apoptotic pathways, immune evasion, neoangiogenesis stimulation.
Method: In this review we considered: (1) main signaling molecular pathways deregulated in melanoma as potential targets for personalized therapy, including PDT, (2) results of the clinical studies regarding PDT of melanoma, especially advanced metastatic stage, (3) progresses made in the design of anti-melanoma photosensitizers (4) inhibition of tumor neoangiogenesis, as well as (5) advantages of the derived therapies like photothermal therapy, sonodynamic therapy.
Results: PDT represents a promising alternative palliative treatment for advanced melanoma patients, mainly due to its minimal invasive character and low side effects. Efficient melanoma PDT requires: (1) improved, tumor targeted, NIR absorbing photosensitizers, capable of inducing high amounts of different ROS inside tumor and vasculature cells, possibly allowing a theranostic approach; (2) an efficient adjuvant immune therapy.
Conclusion: Combination of PDT with immune stimulation might be the key to overcome the melanoma resistance and to obtain better, sustainable clinical results.
Keywords: Photodynamic therapy, melanoma, photosensitizer, neoangiogenesis, immune therapy, oxidative stress, signaling pathway.
Current Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Photodynamic Therapy in Melanoma - Where do we Stand?
Volume: 25 Issue: 40
Author(s): Ioana Baldea*, Lorin Giurgiu, Ioana Diana Teacoe, Diana Elena Olteanu*, Florin Catalin Olteanu, Simona Clichici and Gabriela Adriana Filip
Affiliation:
- Physiology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu, Cluj-Napoca,Romania
- Physiology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu, Cluj-Napoca,Romania
Keywords: Photodynamic therapy, melanoma, photosensitizer, neoangiogenesis, immune therapy, oxidative stress, signaling pathway.
Abstract: Background: Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors, with unpredictable evolution. Despite numerous therapeutic options, like chemotherapy, BRAF inhibitors and immunotherapy, advanced melanoma prognosis remains severe. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been successfully used as the first line or palliative therapy for the treatment of lung, esophageal, bladder, non melanoma skin and head and neck cancers. However, classical PDT has shown some drawbacks that limit its clinical application in melanoma.
Objective: The most important challenge is to overcome melanoma resistance, due to melanosomal trapping, presence of melanin, enhanced oxidative stress defense, defects in the apoptotic pathways, immune evasion, neoangiogenesis stimulation.
Method: In this review we considered: (1) main signaling molecular pathways deregulated in melanoma as potential targets for personalized therapy, including PDT, (2) results of the clinical studies regarding PDT of melanoma, especially advanced metastatic stage, (3) progresses made in the design of anti-melanoma photosensitizers (4) inhibition of tumor neoangiogenesis, as well as (5) advantages of the derived therapies like photothermal therapy, sonodynamic therapy.
Results: PDT represents a promising alternative palliative treatment for advanced melanoma patients, mainly due to its minimal invasive character and low side effects. Efficient melanoma PDT requires: (1) improved, tumor targeted, NIR absorbing photosensitizers, capable of inducing high amounts of different ROS inside tumor and vasculature cells, possibly allowing a theranostic approach; (2) an efficient adjuvant immune therapy.
Conclusion: Combination of PDT with immune stimulation might be the key to overcome the melanoma resistance and to obtain better, sustainable clinical results.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Baldea Ioana*, Giurgiu Lorin, Teacoe Diana Ioana , Olteanu Elena Diana*, Olteanu Catalin Florin, Clichici Simona and Filip Adriana Gabriela, Photodynamic Therapy in Melanoma - Where do we Stand?, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2018; 25 (40) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867325666171226115626
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867325666171226115626 |
Print ISSN 0929-8673 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-533X |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Medicinal Chemistry: From Cancer to Chronic Diseases.
The broad spectrum of the issue will provide a comprehensive overview of emerging trends, novel therapeutic interventions, and translational insights that impact modern medicine. The primary focus will be diseases of global concern, including cancer, chronic pain, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune conditions, providing a broad overview of the advancements in ...read more
Approaches to the treatment of chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of numerous diseases, significantly impacting global health. Although chronic inflammation is a hot topic, not much has been written about approaches to its treatment. This thematic issue aims to showcase the latest advancements in chronic inflammation treatment and foster discussion on future directions in this ...read more
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Non-Infectious Inflammatory Diseases: Focus on Clinical Implications
The Special Issue covers the results of the studies on cellular and molecular mechanisms of non-infectious inflammatory diseases, in particular, autoimmune rheumatic diseases, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and other age-related disorders such as type II diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, etc. Review and research articles as well as methodology papers that summarize ...read more
Chalcogen-modified nucleic acid analogues
Chalcogen-modified nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides have been of great interest to scientific research for many years. The replacement of oxygen in the nucleobase, sugar or phosphate backbone by chalcogen atoms (sulfur, selenium, tellurium) gives these biomolecules unique properties resulting from their altered physical and chemical properties. The continuing interest in ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Current Concepts on the Management of Chordoma
Current Drug Therapy High Therapeutic Potential for Systemic Delivery of a Liposomeconjugated Herpes Simplex Virus
Current Cancer Drug Targets Allergic Asthma: A Summary from Genetic Basis, Mouse Studies, to Diagnosis and Treatment
Current Pharmaceutical Design Insights into the Dynamic Fluctuations of the Protein HPV16 E1 and Identification of Motifs by Using Elastic Network Modeling
Protein & Peptide Letters Targeting Hypoxia for Sensitization of Tumors to Radio- and Chemotherapy
Current Cancer Drug Targets Look Into My Onco-forest - Review of Plant Natural Products with Anticancer Activity
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Transglutaminase-Mediated Activation of Nuclear Transcription Factor-κB in Cancer Cells: A New Therapeutic Opportunity
Current Cancer Drug Targets Medical Expert Systems
Current Bioinformatics Anti-inflammatory Phytochemicals for Chemoprevention of Colon Cancer
Current Cancer Drug Targets Recent Advances in Combined Modality Treatment for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews IDO+ DCs and Signalling Pathways
Current Cancer Drug Targets Cigarette Smoke Decreases Salivary 18 kDa Translocator Protein Binding Affinity – in Association with Oxidative Stress
Current Medicinal Chemistry CXCL12-CXCR4 Axis in Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Stem Cell Mobilization
Current Pharmaceutical Design Edging Toward Personalized Medicine
Current Pharmacogenomics Cancer Therapeutics-Related Cardiovascular Complications. Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Treatment
Current Pharmaceutical Design Progress in the Development of Aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) Inhibitors
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Cancer Agents p42.3: An Abductor of Cell Cycle
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Stem Cell Differentiation Stage Factors from Zebrafish Embryo: A Novel Strategy to Modulate the Fate of Normal and Pathological Human (Stem) Cells
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Exploring the Synthesis and Anticancer Potential of L-Tyrosine-Platinum(II) Hybrid Molecules
Medicinal Chemistry Epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG): Mechanisms and the Combined Applications
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening