Rewiring melanoma cell fate: TRPM8 modulators trigger apoptosis and boost NK cell cytotoxicity.

ABSTRACT: Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive malignancy with limited long-term treatment success due to therapeutic resistance and immune evasion. The transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) ion channel is overexpressed in melanoma but its role as therapeutic target remains unexplored. We investigated the anti-tumor effects of novel TRPM8 modulators in metastatic melanoma cells using viability assays, apoptosis markers, mitochondrial function analyses, reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurements and gene silencing. Their functional impact was further assessed in 3D melanoma organoids, clonogenic survival assays, and natural killer (NK) cell co-culture systems. TRPM8 is significantly overexpressed in metastatic melanoma, as compared with the normal counterparts. Its pharmacological inhibit

SUBMITTER: Sorrentino C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12921236 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature