The Rise of New Targets in Melanoma

Abstract

Despite advancements in cancer therapy, clinical options remain limited and therapeutic resistance inevitably develops. In melanoma, the second most commonly mutated driver oncogene is neuroblastoma rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) which remains undruggable by small molecular agents. For those treated with BRAF/MEK combination therapy, in the setting of V600 BRAF mutations, or immunotherapies regardless of somatic genetic make-up, resistance eventually develops in the majority of cases. Developing rational combination therapies, as suggested by preclinical studies involving genetic manipulation of resistance mediators, necessitates a substantial expansion of druggable targets. Novel chemistry strategies, such as chemoproteomics platforms and chemical inducer of proximity (CIP) agents, offer promising solutions. Chemoproteomics enables the rapid identification of ligands to guide medicinal chemistry, while CIP agents alter the expression levels of key proteins. Using oncogene (such as NRAS) and p53 as pivotal resistance mediators, and the lineage-specific transcription factor SRY-box transcription factor 10 [SOX10]) in melanoma as illustrative examples, we demonstrate how these technologies can be leveraged to rapidly expand the druggable target pool and overcome resistance mechanisms, ultimately paving the way for regimens that produce deeper and more durable responses.