Cellular Therapy and Cytokine Treatments for Melanoma

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2021 Feb;35(1):129-144. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2020.08.014. Epub 2020 Oct 20.

Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with advanced stage melanoma. Recombinant cytokines were the first tested and approved treatments; however, due to disappointing response rates and severe toxicities, their use has significantly decreased. More recently, adoptive cell transfer therapies have shown to be a promising new treatment strategy able to induce complete and durable remissions in patients with melanoma progressive on first-line treatment. This review provides an overview of the cellular therapies (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, T-cell receptor T cells, chimeric antigen receptor T cells) and cytokine treatments (interleukin-2 [IL-2], IL-15, IL-7, IL-10, IL-21, interferon alpha, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) for melanoma.

Keywords: Adoptive cell therapy; CAR-T; Cytokines; Melanoma; TCR-T; TIL.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / therapeutic use
  • Cell Engineering
  • Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy* / methods
  • Cytokines* / adverse effects
  • Cytokines* / therapeutic use
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods*
  • Interleukin-2
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / immunology
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / transplantation
  • Melanoma* / immunology
  • Melanoma* / therapy
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / transplantation

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
  • Cytokines
  • Interleukin-2
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell