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Query: UMLS:C0025202 (melanoma)
 69,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Principles, possibilities and limits of an immunotherapy of malignant melanoma are discussed. On account of the results of immunological investigations in melanoma patients and in animal models the immunogenicity of melanoma cells and the stage dependent immune reactivity of tumor bears seem to be certain. These facts have been the rational basis for the evaluation of an immunotherapy in malignant melanoma. Netherless these therapy trials are still in the state of clinical testing. Controlled long term studies of immunotherapy schedules under observation of the immune profile of the patients in vivo and in vitro are necessary in order to determine the place of immunotherapy within the range of oncological therapeutic possibilities.
Hautarzt 1979 Dec
PMID:[Immunotherapeutic possibilities for treatment of malignant melanomas]. 31 54

The effects of E. coli L-asparaginase on cultured human pancreatic carcinoma (MIA PaCa-2) have been studied. The enzyme (1 U/ml) inhibited growth and protein synthesis in both MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1, another pancreatic carcinoma cell line, but had little or no effect on human breast carcinoma or melanoma cells. The inhibition of protein synthesis by E. coli L-asparaginase was largely reversed by L-glutamine but not by L-asparagine. The growth of both MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 showed absolute dependence on L-glutamine. These results indicate that the effect of E. coli L-asparaginase on cultured pancreatic carcinoma cells is exerted at least in part through its L-glutaminase activity. Although the addition of L-glutamine to the culture appeared to prevent cell death caused by L-asparaginase, it did not restore the ability of the cells to proliferate. Asparaginase derived from vibrio succinogenes, which is virtually free of L-glutaminase activity, was equally inhibitory to MIA PaCa-2 cell growth but did not affect protein synthesis. It is concluded that the inhibition of growth of cultured pancreatic carcinoma cells by E. coli asparaginase is a combined function of both its L-asparaginase and L-glutaminase activity.
Int J Cancer 1978 Dec
PMID:Mechanism of sensitivity of cultured pancreatic carcinoma to asparaginase. 36 26

The immune response of malignant melanoma bases on evident humoral and cellular defence mechanisms of the host against his tumor. Of special interest is a defective immune response, developing in the course of the disease. Hence, any immunotherapy aims at an immunostimulation and immunoregulation. Local and systemic nonspecific immunotherapy try to raise an immune response against the tumor by stimulating unspecifically the whole immune system. On the contrary, specific immunotherapy tries to stimulate directly the defence mechanisms against the tumor by transfusion of antisera (passive immunotherapy) and sensitized cells (adoptive immunotherapy) and by immunizing the patient with tumor tissue (active immunotherapy). One of the best ways in therapy of melanoma seems to be the combination of immunotherapy with chemotherapy, as yet employed in BCG and DTIC treatment.
Hautarzt 1978 Dec
PMID:[Possibilities of immunotherapy in malignant melanoma]. 36 50

Four cases of primary malignant melanoma of the vagina in women aged 23, 44, 51 and 65 years are presented. In these 4 cases, thorough clinical and postmortem examinations ruled out the possibility of a primary melanoma elsewhere. The primary tumors showed exophytic growth with superficial ulceration. Three of the melanomas arose from the middle third of the vagina and one from the upper third. Melanin was visible in sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin in 3 of the tumors. In the other one, the first biopsy failed to reveal melanin. However, the second biopsy performed following irradiation showed abundant melanin pigment. Electron microscopic examination of 3 tumors revealed premelanosomes and melanosomes in the tumor cells, thus confirming the diagnosis. Two neoplasms showed atypical histologic features, and only the presence of melanin enabled us to make diagnosis of malignant melanoma. One melanoma was associated with an adjacent widespread intraepithelial component of superficial spreading type indicating its probable mode of origin. All 4 patients died of widespread metastases within 13 months after initial treatment. These 4 cases, in which clinical diagnosis was confirmed by thorough autopsy, strongly indicate that malignant melanoma can arise directly from the vagina.
Cancer 1978 Dec
PMID:Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina: study of four autopsy cases with ultrastructural findings. 36 16

Human malignant melanoma cell lines were found to bear Ia-like cell surface determinants demonstrable by hetero- or alloantisera and by direct identification of the characteristic bimolecular glycoprotein complex. Immunoprecipitation confirmed the presence of Ia determinants on the bimolecular complex. The quantity of Ia molecules determined by these methods and by absorption experiments was relatively constant for each cell line. Among different lines, however, the amount of Ia antigens ranged from a level equal to that expressed by B-cell lines to a small fraction of this amount. This variation in level of Ia contrasted with the more uniform amount of beta2-microglobulin detected on the cell surface. The Ia alloantigen specificity DRw2 was the most frequently encountered specificity. Ia determinants were also found on the surface of an epidermoid carcinoma line, but not on various other cell lines of normal or neoplastic origin.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1978 Dec
PMID:Expression of Ia-like antigens on cultured human malignant melanoma cell lines. 36 16

By now it is well recognized that there is a benign melanocytic nevus, common in the young and common enough in adults, that has histological features that are confusable with those of malignant melanoma. The anomaly is usually referred to as benign juvenile melanoma, sometimes as Spitz's nevus, and, by some histopathologists, as spindle and epithelioid cell nevus. All the histological subtleties and variations of the condition are still not fully appreciated and some of them are still being misinterpreted as those of malignant melanoma. We herewith present a study designed to clarify the issue and offer firm criteria for histological differentiation of the nevus in point from malignant melanoma. We also suggest a new name for it and supporting arguments therefor.
Arch Dermatol 1978 Dec
PMID:Nevus of large spindle and/or epithelioid cells (Spitz's nevus). 36 81

DTIC, a new cytostatic drug developed by the NCI-USA, is described and some relevant pharmacological characteristics are defined. This drug was proved to be the number one choice for the treatment of malignant melanoma and of sarcomas. It also appears to be of value in advanced cases of Hodgkins disease. DTIC represents a very valuable addition to the available drugs for chemotherapy of malignant tumours.
Wien Klin Wochenschr 1978 Dec 22
PMID:[Pharmacology of DTIC (author's transl)]. 36 50

Indications and results are reviewed with regard to recent data on the effect of DTIC in patients with malignant melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas, Hodgkin's disease, gastrointestinal carcinomas and oat cell cancer of the lung. Whilst this drug induced--mainly partial--remissions in 25% of the patients with melanomas, it is generally used in other malignant conditions in combination with other cytoxic agents. In soft tissue sarcomas adriamycin appeared as the principal additional drug. In patients with Hodgkin's disease resistant to MOPP treatment and requiring additional cytotoxic drugs, combination chemotherapy including DTIC may induce remissions in more than half of these patients. Other schedules were, however, also effective and results in this difficult group of patients are discussed and compared. In gastrointestinal and in oat cell carcinomas cytotoxic protocols including DTIC have shown some effect, perhaps comparable to other combinations usually employed in these conditions.
Wien Klin Wochenschr 1978 Dec 22
PMID:[Dacarbacine (DTIC) in the therapy of a malignant disease. A review (author's transl)]. 36 51

Effective therapy of malignant melanoma is still problematic. A variety of chemotherapeutic agents has proved to be ineffective in this tumour. The most extensively used chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of melanoma is DTIC (dimethyl-triaceno-imidazol-carboxamide). The objective response rate in monotherapy schedules has been reported to be up to 25%. Combination therapy with other cytostatic agents did not improve the results of DTIC alone. Experimental studies and clinical investigations have demonstrated that chemotherapy can be combined successfully with immunotherapy by potentiating the effect of tumour elimination. A review of the clinical studies with DTIC in malignant melanoma is presented.
Wien Klin Wochenschr 1978 Dec 22
PMID:[DTIC in malignant melanoma: a perspective (author's transl)]. 36 52

Xenografts of 3 human malignant cell lines in congenitally athymic nude mice have been examined for susceptibility to BCG. Growth of all 3 tumours, a bladder carcinoma, a melanoma and a colon carcinoma, was suppressed when cells were injected in admixture with BCG. Distant injection of BCG was ineffective. Mice with progressive growths had no detectable anti-human antibody, and rejection of cells and BCG failed to confer protection against subsequent tumour challenge. These studies indicate that human malignant cells are susceptible to local BCG-activated host responses, and that athymic mouse xenografts may be a useful model for assessing the response of human tumours to such agents.
Br J Cancer 1978 Dec
PMID:BCG treatment of human tumour xenografts in athymic nude mice. 36 88


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