Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology

Abstract

Extracellular Matrix Molecules as Targets for Melanoma Therapy

Gerardo Botti, Margherita Cerrone, Annamaria Anniciello, Rossella De Cecio, Paolo Ascierto and Monica Cantile

Malignant melanoma, between human diseases, represents a best model to study tumor progression process. In fact, during its evolution, a series of events takes place involving several molecular mechanisms associated to both melanocytes transformation and to the surrounding microenvironment, with a prevalent involvement of Extracellular Matrix (ECM).
A large series of mechanisms correlated to the activity of these molecules have been studied to establish specific interfering system for target therapies in several human cancers. We suggest that the combination of specific ECM target therapies and immune-therapy, making more efficient the therapeutic approaches for malignant melanoma disease.