Targeted inhibition of BRAF kinase: opportunities and challenges for therapeutics in melanoma

Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and its incidence has increased dramatically in the last two decades. Even with a high rate of success in the treatment of early stages of this malignancy, currently there are no effective strategies for the treatment of advanced metastatic melanoma. Much effort has been put into the use of different target-specific drugs, among which BRAF kinase-specific small-molecule inhibitors have rendered promising results as therapeutic agents in metastatic melanoma. Nonetheless, some side effects, such as development of SCC (squamous cell carcinoma), as well as tumour resistance and recurrence, are common limitations of this therapeutic strategy. The use of combination treatments in which different regulatory pathways or the immunological response are targeted seems to be a promising tool for the future success of melanoma therapeutics.