Soldano Ferrone

Kees Welvaart

Dirk J. Ruiter

In recent years much progress has been made in knowledge and understanding of the biology of cutaneous melanoma. In this respect etiological factors, prognostic factors, antigen expression of melanoma cells, immune response and mechanisms of metastasis formation have to be mentioned. It is the purpose of this book to give a review on fundamental aspects, diagnosis and prognosis, and treatment of cutaneous melanoma and precursor lesions. Moreover, previously unpublished new data are presented. A post-graduate Boerhaave course "Cutaneous Melanoma and Precursor Lesions" was held at Leiden University on 12 and 13 April,. 1984. The proceedings are contained in this volume. The editors would like to thank all speakers and chairpersons on the course, the Boerhaave Committee for its contribution to the organisation of the course, Upjohn Nederland for its financial support and Mrs. I.A. Kruyff for her secretarial assistance. Dirk Ruiter, Kees Welvaart and Soldano Ferrone, Leiden and Valhalla (NY), June, 1984. VII CONTENTS Preface v Contents VII List of First Authors with Co-Authors XI PART I: FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS. The epidemiology of melanoma R.M. MACKIE The molecular biology of carcinogenesis 9 A.W.M. VAN DER KAMP AND N.G.J. JASPERS 19 Human melanoma associated antigens identified with monoclonal antibodies: characterization and potential clinical application P.G. NATALI, R. CAVLIERE, M. MATSUI, G. BURAGGI, L. CALLEGARO, and S. FERRONE Cellular and molecular parameters of tumor progression in 38 human malignant melanoma J. BRUEGGEN, E.B. BROECKER, L. SUTER, K. REDMANN, and C.

Cutaneous Melanoma and Precursor Lesions

Cristina Maccalli

Matilde Todaro

This book represents an up-dated summary of the state of the art of the characterization of cancer stem cell/ cancer initiating cell (CSC/CIC) properties. An overview of the definition and biological properties of CSCs/CICs as well as the role of these cells in determining the resistance to standard and immune-based therapies is provided. It also discusses limitations in the achievement of a definitive biological characterization of CSCs/CICs due to their high extent of plasticity and heterogeneity that is also mutually driven by the interaction of these cells with the tumor microenvironment. The limitations in targeting CSCs/CICs with immunotherapy are also explained together with explorative combination approaches that could increase the susceptibility of these cells to the recognition by immune cells. This book is conceived for a broad audience, including students, teachers, scientific experts. The critical revision of available results in terms of immunological profile of CSCs/CICs and the efficacy in targeting these cells by immunological approaches, results in a comprehensive and up to date recapitulation of the field and provides interesting suggestions on how to focus future investigations in order to assess the role of CSCs/CICs as prognostic and predictive biomarkers of responsiveness to therapies for cancer patients.

Cancer Stem Cell Resistance to Targeted Therapy

Bjarte G. Solheim

Erna Moller

This volume deals with the structure and function of molecules that have, during the last decade, turned out to have a central role in immune responses. Trans plantation antigens were discovered and characterized by Gorer about 50 years ago, and the biological basis for the unequalled complexity of their variability between individuals within a species, in spite of extreme conservation between species, was the subject of intense research and discussion for many years. During the days of belief in "immune surveillance" against spontaneously developing tumors, it was suggested that histoincompatibility between members of one species would prevent cancer from being a contagious disease and thus a threat to the species. Immunologists involved in human transplantation had to learn and care about the complexity, especially after 1967, when it was found that HLA antigens were the products of the human MHC. Rejection of HLA-identical sib kidney grafts was so rare, even in those days, that cases of rejection were described in scientific papers.

Soldano Ferrone

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