title: Molecularly targeted therapy for melanoma: current reality and future options.
abstract: Effective therapy for melanoma remains an unmet goal, with most traditional therapies representing inadequate trade-offs among the several goals of specificity, efficacy, and toxicity. Targeted molecular therapeutics are tailored to genetic abnormalities that are associated with tumor progression. Modulation of aberrant signaling pathways in cancer cells has the potential to provide more effective and potentially nontoxic therapy for a broad range of cancers, including melanoma. Among the possible targets in melanoma are the Ras-MAPK and PI3K/AKT signal transduction pathways, the proteasome, histone deacetylases, methyltransferases, and melanoma-induced angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.forename: Sanjiv S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Agarwala
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dummer
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schrama
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hauschild
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008954:Models, Biological; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)