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Updated: Jul 31, 2025
Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells
Published on: June 7, 2019
Combinational photodynamic and photothermal - based therapies for melanoma in mouse models
Israel Lara-Vega1, Armando Vega-López1
1Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Av. Wilfrido Massieu s/n, Unidad Profesional Zacatenco, Mexico City C. P. 07738, Mexico.
Background:
Melanoma is a highly metastatic skin cancer with limited response to current therapies in advanced patients. To overcome resistance, novel treatments based on photodynamic and photothermal therapies (PDT and PTT, respectively) have been developed to treat melanoma in preclinical murine models. Despite success inhibiting implanted tumors' growth, there has been limited evaluation of their long-term effectiveness in preventing metastasis, recurrence, or improving survival rates.
Methods:
Combined and multidrug therapies based on PDT and/or PTT to treat cutaneous malignant melanoma in the preclinical mouse model were reviewed from 2016 onwards. PubMed® was the database in which the search was performed using mesh search algorithms resulting in fifty-one studies that comply with strict inclusion rules of screening.
Results:
B16 melanoma-bearing C57BLACK6 mice model was the most used to evaluate immunotherapies, chemotherapies, and targeted therapies in combination with PDT and/or PTT. Combined therapies demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in intense antitumor activity. The most extensively studied protocol for developing metastatic models involved the intravenous administration of malignant cells, with some combined therapies being tested. Furthermore, the review presents the composition of the nanostructures utilized for delivering the drugs and light-responsive agents and the treatment plans for each combined approach.
Conclusions:
The identified mechanisms to simulate metastatic melanoma models and the therapeutic combinations may aid in evaluating the systemic protection of combined PDT and PTT-based therapies, particularly in conducting short-term preclinical experiments. Such simulations could have relevance to clinical studies.
Insights
Novel combined therapies using photodynamic and photothermal therapies (PDT and PTT) show synergistic effects against melanoma in preclinical models. Further research is needed to evaluate their long-term effectiveness in preventing metastasis and improving survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Dermatology
Background:
- Melanoma is a metastatic skin cancer with poor response to current treatments.
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are emerging treatments for melanoma.
- Limited data exists on the long-term effectiveness of PDT and PTT in preventing melanoma metastasis, recurrence, and improving survival.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review combined and multidrug therapies utilizing PDT and/or PTT for cutaneous malignant melanoma.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of these combined therapies in preclinical mouse models.
- To identify mechanisms for simulating metastatic melanoma and assess systemic protection.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature review was conducted from 2016 onwards using PubMed.
- Search algorithms identified 51 studies meeting strict inclusion criteria.
- The B16 melanoma-bearing C57BLACK6 mice model was predominantly used.
Main Results:
- Combined PDT and PTT therapies demonstrated synergistic effects and intense antitumor activity.
- Nanostructures were utilized for drug and light-responsive agent delivery.
- Metastatic models were developed via intravenous malignant cell administration, with some combined therapies tested.
Conclusions:
- Simulating metastatic melanoma models and employing therapeutic combinations can aid in evaluating systemic protection.
- Combined PDT and PTT therapies show promise for preclinical evaluation in short-term experiments.
- These findings may inform future clinical studies for advanced melanoma treatment.
