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Review
. 2016 Mar 11;8(3):34.
doi: 10.3390/cancers8030034.

Melanoma Cancer Stem Cells: Markers and Functions

Giorgio Parmiani  1
Affiliations
Review

Melanoma Cancer Stem Cells: Markers and Functions

Giorgio Parmiani. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

The discovery of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in human solid tumors has allowed a better understanding of the biology and neoplastic transformation of normal melanocytes, and the possible mechanisms by which melanoma cells acquire tumorigenicity. In this review I summarize the literature findings on the potential biomarkers of melanoma CSCs, their presence in the melanoma cell populations, the interaction with the immune system (with both T and NK cells) and the role of melanoma CSCs in the clinics. Given the extraordinary progress in the therapy of melanoma caused by immune checkpoint antibodies blockade, I discuss how these antibodies can work by the activation of melanoma infiltrating T cells specifically recognizing neo-antigens expressed even by melanoma CSCs. This is the mechanism that can induce a regression of the metastatic melanomas.

Keywords: biomarkers; cancer stem cells; human melanoma; immune checkpoint antibodies; immunosuppression.

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