The Risk of Keratinocyte Cancer in Vitiligo and the Potential Mechanisms Involved

Although light skin types are associated with increased skin cancer risk, a lower incidence of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) has been reported in patients with vitiligo. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the NMSC risk in patients with vitiligo, indicating a reduced relative risk ratio of NMSC in vitiligo. Furthermore, we propose a series of hypotheses on the underlying mechanisms, including both immune-mediated and nonimmune-mediated pathways. This study reveals insights into the relationship between vitiligo and keratinocyte cancer and can also be used to better inform patients with vitiligo.

MeVa2.1.dOVA and MeVa2.2.dOVA: two novel BRAFV600E-driven mouse melanoma cell lines to study tumor immune resistance

While immunotherapy has become standard-of-care for cutaneous melanoma patients, primary and acquired resistance prevent long-term benefits for about half of the late-stage patients. Pre-clinical models are essential to increase our understanding of the resistance mechanisms of melanomas, aiming to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy. Here, we present two novel syngeneic transplantable murine melanoma cell lines derived from the same primary tumor induced on BrafV600E Pten-/- mice: MeVa2.1 and MeVa2.2. Derivatives of these cell lines expressing the foreign antigen ovalbumin (dOVA) showed contrasting immune-mediated tumor control. MeVa2.2.dOVA melanomas were initially controlled in immune-competent hosts until variants grew out that had lost their antigens. By contrast, MeVa2.1.dOVA tumors were not controlled despite presenting the strong OVA antigen, as well as infiltration of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells. MeVa2.1.dOVA displayed reduced sensitivity to T cell-mediated killing and growth inhibition in vitro by both IFN-γ and TNF-α. MeVa2.1.dOVA tumors were transiently controlled in vivo by either targeted therapy, adoptive T cell transfer, regulatory T cell depletion, or immune checkpoint blockade. MeVa2.1.dOVA could thus become a valuable melanoma model to evaluate novel immunotherapy combinations aiming to overcome immune resistance mechanisms.