Immunotherapy for Melanoma

Melanoma skin cancer ---> melanoma treatment ---> melanoma immunotherapy

The rapid evolution of recombinant DNA technology has resulted in the availability of cytokines, such as the interferons and interleukins, that can be administered to modulate a patient's immune response. These biologic agents have been used in immunotherapeutic trials for metastatic melanoma and demonstrate that an anti-tumor immune response can be generated in selected patients.
The most significant advance in melanoma immunotherapy has been associated with the use of interleukin-2 (IL-2). IL-2 is a cytokine secreted by antigen-activated helper T cells and was initially discovered because it was a T-cell growth factor. Subsequently, it was found to have many other immunologic effects, and it appears to have an important role in the enhancement of immune responses. It has been discovered that the in vivo administration of IL-2 in preclinical animal models resulted in dramatic tumor regression. In clinical studies, the administration of IL-2 resulted in a 15% to 20% response rate in patients with advanced melanoma. Approximately 5% of patients have a complete response which has been durable for prolonged periods. This latter result prompted the FDA to approve IL-2 for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.
IL-2 has been used in combination with other forms of immunotherapy. One example of this is the use of anti-tumor reactive T cells as reagents to treat tumor that is called adoptive immunotherapy. One source of these T cells is from the tumor itself, known as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. It has been reported that patients with advanced melanoma treated with the combination of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, IL-2, and chemotherapy can result in response rates between 35% and 50%.
Vaccines derived from melanoma tumor cells or extracts of tumor cells have been an emerging field in the treatment of melanoma. The discovery of unique melanoma tumor associated antigens has opened the door for the development of highly specific reagents for tumor vaccines.