Immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma

Abstract

Melanoma has traditionally been considered an immunogenic tumor. A number of approaches have been studied for enhancement of antitumor immunity. The first cytokine approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, interleukin-2, has resulted in prolonged responses in a small subset of patients, providing hope that immunotherapy might be useful for this disease. Ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody to CTLA-4, was recently approved and a number of other promising investigational approaches are currently being pursued. This manuscript discusses more recent advances in the treatment of melanoma employing a variety of immune-enhancing approaches.