Melanoma is the least common form of
skin cancer and is associated with the highest mortality. Where
melanoma is mostly unresponsive to conventional
therapies (e.g.,
chemotherapy), BRAF inhibitor treatment has shown improved therapeutic outcomes.
Photodynamic therapy (
PDT) relies on a light-activated compound to produce death-inducing amounts of
reactive oxygen species (ROS). Their capacity to selectively accumulate in
tumor cells has been confirmed in
melanoma treatment with some encouraging results. However, this treatment approach has not reached clinical fruition for
melanoma due to major limitations associated with the development of resistance and subsequent side effects. These adverse effects might be bypassed by
immunotherapy in the form of
antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) relying on the ability of
monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to target specific
tumor-associated
antigens (TAAs) and to be used as carriers to specifically deliver cytotoxic warheads into corresponding
tumor cells. Of late, the continued refinement of ADC therapeutic efficacy has given rise to photoimmunotherapy (PIT) (a light-sensitive compound conjugated to mAbs), which by virtue of requiring light activation only exerts its toxic effect on light-irradiated cells. As such, this review aims to highlight the potential clinical benefits of various armed antibody-based
immunotherapies, including
PDT, as alternative approaches for the treatment of metastatic
melanoma.