Intratumoural immunotherapies for unresectable and metastatic melanoma: current status and future perspectives

Br J Cancer. 2020 Sep;123(6):885-897. doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-0994-4. Epub 2020 Jul 27.

Abstract

The emergence of human intratumoural immunotherapy (HIT-IT) is a major step forward in the management of unresectable melanoma. The direct injection of treatments into melanoma lesions can cause cell lysis and induce a local immune response, and might be associated with a systemic immune response. Directly injecting immunotherapies into tumours achieves a high local concentration of immunostimulatory agent while minimising systemic exposure and, as such, HIT-IT agents are associated with lower toxicity than systemic immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), enabling their potential use in combination with other therapies. Consequently, multiple HIT-IT agents, including oncolytic viruses, pattern-recognition receptor agonists, injected CPIs, cytokines and immune glycolipids, are under investigation. This review considers the current clinical development status of HIT-IT agents as monotherapy and in combination with systemic CPIs, and the practical aspects of administering and assessing the response to these agents. The future of HIT-IT probably lies in its use in combination with systemic CPIs; data from Phase 2 trials indicate a synergy between HIT-IT and CPIs. Data also suggest that the addition of HIT-IT to a CPI might generate responses in CPI-refractory tumours, thereby overcoming resistance and addressing a current unmet need in unresectable and metastatic melanoma for treatment options following progression after CPI treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / genetics
  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Immunotherapy / adverse effects
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Interleukin-2 / therapeutic use
  • Melanoma / secondary
  • Melanoma / therapy*
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy
  • Receptors, Pattern Recognition / agonists

Substances

  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
  • Interleukin-2
  • Receptors, Pattern Recognition
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor