Abstract
Melanoma has played a central role in immunotherapeutical research for many years. Ipilimumab is deemed to be a breakthrough in the immunomodulation field.
It is a monoclonal antibody targeted against the CTLA-4 antigen, proven to be the first molecule in history to have a positive effect on the prolongation of overall survival of patients with metastatic melanoma. Ipilimumab was approved in March 2011 for treatment of malignant melanoma by American FDA and further by European EMA.
Thus, the new discipline - immunooncology - is gradually gaining importance. Modern immunooncological strategies improve the function of innate immune cells, augment adoptive immunity and suppress the ability of tumours to escape immune detection and attack.
Moreover, approaches, combining immunomodulatory molecules or sequencing them, are promising.