Electrochemotherapy for metastatic cutaneous melanoma

A novel lab-on-a-chip microsystem with ITO electrodes for effective electroporation in electrochemotherapy studies

We describe a novel lab-on-a-chip microsystem for cells electroporation, which can be used in studies comparing the effectiveness of two anti-cancer procedures. Our device in which we can simultaneously test the effect of a drug and electrically stimulate cells can be used to assess the effectiveness of chemo- and electrochemotherapy. The microsystem comprised two pairs of indium tin oxide electrodes that were stacked parallel to the culture microchambers. It enables the observation and performance of tests on adherent cells at the same time for 4 different test samples in 6 repetitions (control, chemotherapy, electrochemotherapy, influence of electric field). This provides the required number of repetitions for biological tests and enables statistical evaluation of the results. We paid special attention to the selection of the appropriate design of the electrodes and their placement at the appropriate distance from the microchambers. In this way, in each of the 24 microchambers in the microsystem, homogenous electric field conditions are ensured. Numerical simulations were carried out to determine the distribution of the electric field in the area of the culture microchamber to select the most homogenous conditions, then the results were verified in tests on human cells. Electroporation in the designed microsystem was characterized by high efficiency, while maintaining a high viability of the cells. To our knowledge, it is one of the first microfluidic system with ITO electrodes dedicated for electrochemotherapy, system can be used in studies evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic procedure in which chemotherapeutic drug and the electric field is used.

Leveraging single-cell sequencing analysis and bulk-RNA sequencing analysis to forecast necroptosis in cutaneous melanoma prognosis

Cutaneous melanoma, a malignancy of melanocytes, presents a significant challenge due to its aggressive nature and rising global incidence. Despite advancements in treatment, the variability in patient responses underscores the need for further research into novel therapeutic targets, including the role of programmed cell death pathways such as necroptosis. The melanoma datasets used for analysis, GSE215120, GSE19234, GSE22153 and GSE65904, were downloaded from the GEO database. The melanoma data from TCGA were downloaded from the UCSC website. Using single-cell sequencing, we assess the heterogeneity of necroptosis in cutaneous melanoma, identifying distinct cell clusters and necroptosis-related gene expression patterns. A combination of 101 machine learning algorithms was employed to construct a necroptosis-related signature (NRS) based on key genes associated with necroptosis. The prognostic value of NRS was evaluated in four cohorts (one TCGA and three GEO cohorts), and the tumour microenvironment (TME) was analysed to understand the relationship between necroptosis, tumour mutation burden (TMB) and immune infiltration. Finally, we focused on the role of key target TSPAN10 in the prognosis, pathogenesis, immunotherapy relevance and drug sensitivity of cutaneous melanoma. Our study revealed significant heterogeneity in necroptosis among melanoma cells, with a higher prevalence in epithelial cells, myeloid cells and fibroblasts. The NRS, developed through rigorous machine learning techniques, demonstrated robust prognostic capabilities, distinguishing high-risk patients with poorer outcomes in all cohorts. Analysis of the TME showed that high NRS scores correlated with lower TMB and reduced immune cell infiltration, indicating a potential mechanism through which necroptosis influences melanoma progression. Finally, TSPAN10 has been identified as a key target for cutaneous melanoma and is highly associated with poor prognosis. The findings highlight the complex role of necroptosis in cutaneous melanoma and introduce the NRS as a novel prognostic tool with potential to guide therapeutic decisions.

Calcium Electroporation versus Electrochemotherapy with Bleomycin in an In Vivo CAM-Based Uveal Melanoma Xenograft Model

Despite recent advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of uveal melanoma (UM), its metastatic rate remains high and is accompanied by a highly dismal prognosis, constituting an unmet need for the development of novel adjuvant therapeutic strategies. We established an in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM)-based UM xenograft model from UPMD2 and UPMM3 cell lines to examine its feasibility for the improvement of selection of drug candidates. The efficacy of calcium electroporation (CaEP) with 5 or 10 mM calcium chloride (Ca) and electrochemotherapy (ECT) with 1 or 2.5 µg/mL bleomycin in comparison to monotherapy with the tested drug or electroporation (EP) alone was investigated on the generated UM tumors. CaEP and ECT showed a similar reduction of proliferation and melanocytic expansion with a dose-dependent effect for bleomycin, whereas CaEP induced a significant increase of the apoptosis and a reduction of vascularization with varying sensitivity for the two xenograft types. Our in vivo results suggest that CaEP and ECT may facilitate the adequate local tumor control and contribute to the preservation of the bulbus, potentially opening new horizons in the adjuvant treatment of advanced UM.