Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) in the anti-melanoma immune response - May 31 2021

Melanoma is a highly immunogenic cancer, but about 40% of patients do not have effective responses. Here, Anne Montfort of INSERM, France describes how the sphingolipid enzyme nSMase2 - often downregulated in metastatic melanoma - plays a role in regulating the melanoma response to immunotherapy by driving release of extracellular vesicles and reprogramming the tumor immune microenvironment. She further describes how increased nSMase2 enhances efficacy of anti-PD1 therapy by enhancing the response of T helper 1 (Th1) cells. This suggests that modulating nSMase2 expression may be a viable therapeutic strategy to enhance immunotherapy responses in metastatic melanoma.