Chapter 14 - Advances in nanotechnology-related strategies against melanoma

Abstract

Melanoma is a complex and highly aggressive skin tumor with increasing incidence worldwide. In this chapter, this malignant cancer is addressed, gathering information about epidemiology, mitochondrial role in the disease, clinical presentation, and therapeutic management. In the search for novel and more effective therapies against melanoma, pharmacologically active natural products have been explored, with several drugs reaching the market. In vitro and in vivo studies of natural compounds with potential antimelanoma activity are highlighted. Despite their promising potential, some of them can display unfavorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic features that compromise their clinic translation. Over the last years, there have been advances in nanotechnology applied to cancer treatment that have overcome many of these limitations, providing versatile and effective tools for the successful in vivo delivery of natural molecules, namely lipid-based, polymeric, and metallic nanosystems. These nanocarriers allow not only the modulation of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of the compounds, but also the increase of their stability and circulation time, resulting in greater therapeutic efficacy and less toxicity. Overall, this chapter focuses on nanoformulated natural-based compounds as an alternative therapeutic approach against melanoma, describing the most representative works from 2008 to 2020.