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Related Experiment Videos

Imiquimod in basal cell carcinoma: how does it work?

R Dummer1, M Urosevic, W Kempf

  • 1Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 31, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland. reinhard.drummer@usz.ch

The British Journal of Dermatology
|November 18, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Imiquimod cream effectively treats superficial basal cell carcinomas (BCC) by activating the innate immune system. This immune response, involving macrophage-monocyte cells, leads to tumor regression and apoptosis.

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Dermatology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Imiquimod is a topical immune response modifier.
  • It targets Toll-like receptor-7 and -8, inducing interferon-alpha.
  • Superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a common skin cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mode of action of imiquimod in treating superficial BCC.
  • To analyze the immunological changes associated with imiquimod treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of superficial BCC with imiquimod 5% cream.
  • Biopsies of BCC lesions before and after treatment.
  • Histology, immunohistochemistry, and gene array technology (Affymetrix) analysis.

Main Results:

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  • Imiquimod treatment induced regression of BCC lesions.
  • Significant activity of the innate immune response was observed.
  • Macrophage-monocyte cells mediated the immune response.
  • Induction of apoptosis in tumor cells was noted.

Conclusions:

  • Imiquimod-induced BCC regression is linked to innate immune activation.
  • The mechanism involves macrophage-monocyte cells and apoptosis induction.
  • Imiquimod demonstrates efficacy as a topical treatment for superficial BCC.