Advancements in melanoma cancer metastasis models
Luiza Martins Nascentes Melo, Suresh Kumar, Valeria Riess, Krystina J. Szylo, Robin Tamara Eisenburger, Dirk Schadendorf, Jessalyn M. Ubellacker, Alpaslan Tasdogan
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is a complex and deadly disease. Due to its complexity, the development of novel therapeutic strategies to inhibit metastatic melanoma remains an outstanding challenge. Our ability to study metastasis is advanced with the development of in vitro and in vivo models that better mimic the different steps of the metastatic cascade beginning from primary tumor initiation to final metastatic seeding. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of in vitro models, in vivo models, and in silico platforms to study the individual steps of melanoma metastasis. Furthermore, we highlight the advantages and limitations of each model and discuss the challenges of how to improve current models to enhance translation for melanoma cancer patients and future therapies.