Immune mediated mechanisms of melanocyte destruction: Paving the way for efficient immunotherapeutic strategies against melanoma

Abstract

Insights into immune reactions against benign and malignant melanocytes may help the development of more efficient immunotherapeutic treatments for melanoma. The interplay between an active systemic antitumor immunity and a responsive local tumor environment is crucial to achieve effective clinical responses. Increasing evidence confirms this strategy can lead to an adequate and durable immunosurveillance of melanocytes.

Figure 1. Presentation of an efficient immune response (right) enhanced by oxidative stress leading to haptenation. This leads to increased antigen presentation and ultimately the development of melanocyte-specific CD8 cells occurs which are recruited toward the tumor site. In the model illustrating immune tolerance of the tumor (left), no active tumor elimination is present and immune-suppressing factors at the primary melanoma and in the tumor draining lymph node maintain the tumoral immune escape.