Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy for Metastatic Melanoma: Challenges and Road Ahead

Abstract

Metastatic melanoma is the most aggressive and difficult to treat type of skin cancer, with a survival rate of less than 10%. Metastatic melanoma has conventionally been considered very difficult to treat; however, recent progress in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the tumorigenesis, metastasis and immune escape have led to the introduction of new therapies. These include targeted molecular therapy and novel immune-based approaches such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and genetically engineered T-lymphocytes such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Among these, CAR T cell therapy has recently made promising strides towards the treatment of advanced hematological and solid cancers. Although CAR T cell therapy might offer new hope for melanoma patients, it is not without its shortcomings, which include off-target toxicity, and the emergence of resistance to therapy (e.g., due to antigen loss), leading to eventual relapse. The present review will not only describe the basic steps of melanoma metastasis, but also discuss how CAR T cells could treat metastatic melanoma. We will outline specific strategies including combination approaches that could be used to overcome some limitations of CAR T cell therapy for metastatic melanoma.