Skin Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Skin Cancer, including details on identification, causes, prevention, treatment.

Comparison of a treatment strategy combining CCI-779 plus DTIC versus DTIC monotreatment in human melanoma in SCID mice.

Thallinger C, Werzowa J, Poeppl W, Kovar FM, Pratscher B, Valent P, Quehenberger P, Joukhadar C

Division of Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, Vienna, Austria.

This study compares the antineoplastic potential of a novel treatment strategy combining cell cycle inhibitor-779 (CCI-779) plus dacarbazine (DTIC) versus DTIC monotreatment, the current chemotherapeutic mainstay in combating metastatic melanoma. A controlled four-group parallel study design comprising 24-40 mice per tumor cell line was used in a severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)-mouse xenotransplantation model. SCID mice were injected with 518A2, Mel-JUSO, or 607B human melanoma cells. After they developed tumors, mice received daily CCI-779 or solvent over 14 days. From treatment day 4-8 mice were additionally injected with DTIC or saline. Treatment with CCI-779 plus DTIC was superior to single agent DTIC in two out of three cell lines (P<0.05). The tumor weight reduction was 44+/-17 and 61+/-6% compared with DTIC monotreatment in Mel-JUSO and 607B melanomas, respectively (P<0.05). In contrast, in 518A2 xenotransplants, CCI-779 plus DTIC treatment was as effective as DTIC monotreatment. CCI-779 monotherapy exerted no statistically significant antitumor effect. Collectively, these data indicate that CCI-779 has the potential to increase the chemotherapeutic efficacy, as the combination of CCI-779 plus DTIC proved to be more efficacious compared to DTIC monotherapy in two out of three melanoma cell lines in vivo.

Published 14 September 2007 in J Invest Dermatol, 127(10): 2411-7.
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