Abstract
Melanoma is a skin cancer with permanently increasing incidence and resistance to therapies in advanced stages. Reports of spontaneous regression and tumour infiltration with T-lymphocytes makes melanoma candidate for immunotherapies. Cytokines are key factors regulating immune response and intercellular communication in tumour microenvironment. Cytokines may be used in therapy of melanoma to modulate immune response. Cytokines also possess diagnostic and prognostic potential and cytokine production may reflect effects of immunotherapies. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of recent advances in proteomic techniques for the detection and quantification of cytokines in melanoma research. Approaches covered span from mass spectrometry to immunoassays for single molecule detection (ELISA, western blot), multiplex assays (chemiluminescent, bead-based (Luminex) and planar antibody arrays), ultrasensitive techniques (Singulex, Simoa, immuno-PCR, proximity ligation/extension assay, immunomagnetic reduction assay), to analyses of single cells producing cytokines (ELISpot, flow cytometry, mass cytometry and emerging techniques for single cell secretomics). Although this review is focused mainly on cancer and particularly melanoma, the discussed techniques are in general applicable to broad research field of biology and medicine, including stem cells, development, aging, immunology and intercellular communication.
Highlights
Introduction to Melanoma and CytokinesMelanoma is one of the ten most common types of cancer with a steadily increasing incidence
Melanocytes occur in eye, mucosal epithelia and meninges [4] and melanomas can be divided according to the place of origin to the most common cutaneous melanoma, uveal melanoma and mucosal melanoma [5]
As the immune system plays an active role in melanoma regression, a strong evidence is provided that melanoma would be amenable by immunotherapies [19]
Summary
Melanoma is one of the ten most common types of cancer with a steadily increasing incidence. Melanoma results from malignant transformation of melanocytes, which are naturally occurring pigmented cells in the epidermis. Melanocytes are responsible for the production of an endogenous pigment melanin, protecting the skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation [3]. Melanocytes occur in eye, mucosal epithelia and meninges [4] and melanomas can be divided according to the place of origin to the most common cutaneous melanoma, uveal melanoma and mucosal melanoma [5]. To study melanoma pathogenesis and facilitate development of targeted therapies, several animal models have been developed, including mouse, pig, horse, dog, zebrafish, chick embryo (to study neural crest cell migration) and others (reviewed in [9,10,11,12])
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
