Advances in the application of ICIs in melanoma

One of the most lethal type of skin cancer, melanoma, can now be effectively treated with immunotherapy, especially when immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are used. ICIs that target CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1 have already become a front-line treatment that has improved the prognosis of patients with advanced melanoma (AM) throughout the last ten years. Nonetheless, this discipline continues to face a number of difficulties, including drug resistance and variance in patient response. This review aims to present the most recent findings about the use of ICIs in AM and to explain their mode of action, clinical effectiveness, and combination treatments. We summarize clinical trial results showing an improved survival rate using the ICIs, as well as preclinical and early clinical development studying new immune checkpoint (ICs) targets such as LAG-3 and TIM-3. Despite these advances, resistance mechanisms and predictive biomarkers remain to be determined. This dissertation discusses the current development of ICI-based melanoma treatments, focusing on the need for personalized approaches and further investigation of combination treatments. Future studies should be directed toward overcoming resistance, optimizing patient selection, and investigating the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in treatment outcomes.