MAPEANDO O CÂNCER DE PELE: ALVOS MOLECULARES DO MELANOMA

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.002142505055

• Palavras-chave: câncer de pele, melanoma, alvos moleculares

• Keywords: skin cancer, melanoma, molecular targets

• Abstract: Skin cancer is one of the most common malignant neoplasms diagnosed worldwide. It can be classified into two types: non-melanoma, divided into basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. The latter originates in melanin-producing cells, the melanocytes, and despite being the least common skin cancer, it is the most lethal, due to the high proliferative rate of the cells involved and the high capacity for metastasis formation. In this context, it is essential to study molecular targets responsible for the acquisition of a series of characteristics in cancer cells. These characteristics, which have been established as “Hallmarks of Cancer”, mainly include the support of cell proliferation, resistance to programmed cell death, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, and evasion of the immune system. The identification of molecular targets associated with the hallmarks of cancer has contributed to the development of more efficient therapies for skin cancer, especially targeted therapy, immunotherapy and CAR-T therapy. In line with this perspective, this chapter will present the main Hallmarks of cancer and their respective molecular targets, highlighting the innovative therapies currently available for the treatment of skin cancer, such as BRAF inhibitors: vemurafenib and drafenib, MEK inhibitors: trametinib and cobimetinib, and inhibitors of the immune checkpoint PD-1: pembrolizumab and nivolumab and CTLA-4: ipilimumab and tremelimumabe.