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Anestopoulos I, Kyriakou S, Tragkola V, Paraskevaidis I, Tzika E, Mitsiogianni M, Deligiorgi MV, Petrakis G, Trafalis DT, Botaitis S, Giatromanolaki A, Koukourakis MI, Franco R, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. Targeting the epigenome in malignant melanoma: Facts, challenges and therapeutic promises. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 240:108301. [PMID: 36283453 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is the most lethal type of skin cancer with high rates of mortality. Although current treatment options provide a short-clinical benefit, acquired-drug resistance highlights the low 5-year survival rate among patients with advanced stage of the disease. In parallel, the involvement of an aberrant epigenetic landscape, (e.g., alterations in DNA methylation patterns, histone modifications marks and expression of non-coding RNAs), in addition to the genetic background, has been also associated with the onset and progression of melanoma. In this review article, we report on current therapeutic options in melanoma treatment with a focus on distinct epigenetic alterations and how their reversal, by specific drug compounds, can restore a normal phenotype. In particular, we concentrate on how single and/or combinatorial therapeutic approaches have utilized epigenetic drug compounds in being effective against malignant melanoma. Finally, the role of deregulated epigenetic mechanisms in promoting drug resistance to targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors is presented leading to the development of newly synthesized and/or improved drug compounds capable of targeting the epigenome of malignant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Anestopoulos
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - S Kyriakou
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - V Tragkola
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - I Paraskevaidis
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - E Tzika
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - M V Deligiorgi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - G Petrakis
- Saint George Hospital, Chania, Crete, Greece
| | - D T Trafalis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - S Botaitis
- Department of Surgery, Alexandroupolis University Hospital, Democritus University of Thrace School of Medicine, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - A Giatromanolaki
- Department of Pathology, Democritus University of Thrace, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - M I Koukourakis
- Radiotherapy / Oncology, Radiobiology & Radiopathology Unit, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - R Franco
- Redox Biology Centre, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - A Pappa
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - M I Panayiotidis
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.
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