Abstract
Melanoma is one of the leading fatal forms of cancer, yet from a treatment perspective, we have minimal control over its reoccurrence and resistance to current pharmacotherapies. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has recently been accepted as a multifaceted homeostatic regulator, influencing various physiological processes across different biological compartments, including the skin. This review presents an overview of the pathophysiology of melanoma, current pharmacotherapy used for treatment, and the challenges associated with the different pharmacological approaches. Furthermore, it highlights the utility of cannabinoids as an additive remedy for melanoma by restoring the balance between downregulated immunomodulatory pathways and elevated inflammatory cytokines during chronic skin conditions as one of the suggested critical approaches in treating this immunogenic tumor. This article is categorized under: Cancer > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
Keywords: cancer treatment, cannabinoids, mechanisms, melanoma, pharmacotherapy
© 2023 The Authors. WIREs Mechanisms of Disease published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
References
FURTHER READING
-
- Parameswaran, N., & Patial, S. (2010). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha signaling in macrophages. Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression, 20(2), 87-103. https://doi.org/10.1615/critreveukargeneexpr.v20.i2.10
REFERENCES
-
- Abidi, A. H., Alghamdi, S. S., Dabbous, M. K., Tipton, D. A., Mustafa, S. M., & Moore, B. M. (2020). Cannabinoid type-2 receptor agonist, inverse agonist, and anandamide regulation of inflammatory responses in IL-1β stimulated primary human periodontal ligament fibroblasts. Journal of Periodontal Research, 55(5), 762-783.
-
- Adinolfi, B., Romanini, A., Vanni, A., Martinotti, E., Chicca, A., Fogli, S., & Nieri, P. (2013). Anticancer activity of anandamide in human cutaneous melanoma cells. European Journal of Pharmacology, 718(1-3), 154-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2013.08.039
-
- Aggarwal, B. B., Kohr, W. J., Hass, P. E., Moffat, B., Spencer, S. A., Henzel, W. J., Bringman, T. S., Nedwin, G. E., Goeddel, D. V., & Harkins, R. N. (1985). Human tumor necrosis factor. Production, purification, and characterization. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 260(4), 2345-2354.
-
- Aggarwal, V., Tuli, H. S., Varol, A., Thakral, F., Yerer, M. B., Sak, K., Varol, M., Jain, A., Khan, M., & Sethi, G. (2019). Role of reactive oxygen species in cancer progression: Molecular mechanisms and recent advancements. Biomolecules & Therapeutics, 9(11), 735.
-
- Agrawal, S., & Townley, R. G. (2014). Role of periostin, FENO, IL-13, lebrikzumab, other IL-13 antagonist and dual IL-4/IL-13 antagonist in asthma. Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, 14(2), 165-181.