Immunopharmacology in Skin Cancer: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions

Skin cancer, including melanoma and non-melanoma, remains a major global health concern primarily due to its tendency to spread quickly and resistance to traditional treatments. Recent progress in targeted therapies have changed the prognosis for many patients. By taking aim at specific genetic and molecular features of skin cancer, these therapies have provided new hope and opened the door to more personalized treatment approaches.

Despite these advances, treating skin cancer is not straightforward. Drugs that target common mutations (BRAF and MEK inhibitors), have delivered benefits, and patients are living longer, some achieve lasting responses.

However, not all patients respond, and many eventually see their disease return. The main challenge is that cancer cells adapt; they find new ways to survive, either by bypassing the drug's effects or by changing the way they grow.

This Research Topic aims to gather studies that highlight innovation and progress in the field of targeted therapy for skin cancer. We encourage submissions on topics such as:

•Discoveries of new molecular targets across melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.
•Innovation in advanced therapeutics as nanomedicine for skin cancers.
•Combination therapies, such as pairing targeted drugs with immunotherapy or other treatment types to overcome drug resistance mechanisms)
•Identification and use of biomarkers that can help predict how a patient will respond to a specific targeted therapy.
•Early clinical studies and trials bringing promising new targeted therapies closer to routine use.
•Detailed analysis of the safety and side-effect profiles of novel agents.

We are interested in Original Research, Review, Mini-review, and Perspective articles that cover the topics outlined above. Please note that case reports and case studies will not be considered for this Research Topic.

Studies on herbal medicines and Chinese TCM can be considered, but must fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice (you can freely download the full version here ).

With this collection, we hope to provide a clear picture of skin cancer biology and advanced treatments, offering insights into both current progress and remaining challenges.