Metastatic melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and the most rapidly expanding cancer in terms of worldwide incidence with a 5 years survival rate of less than 10% after metastasis establishment. Besides that, chemo and radiotherapeutic approaches in melanoma treatment have been shown disappointing results, also resulting in severe adverse effects.

Previous studies conducted at Federal University of Paraná – Brazil, using murine models, have demonstrated that highly diluted natural complexes were able to induce tumor reduction in mice and in melanoma murine cell culture. Here it was performed assays to evaluate in vitro effects of highly diluted natural complex, M1, in human metastatic melanoma cell lineage 1205Lu.

Also, it was tested the immune influence of M1 in a coculture model with human mononuclear cells obtained from leukoreduction chambers (LRS chambers) after plateletpheresis procedure, and the human melanoma cells (1205Lu).  Results have shown that mononuclear cells previously treated (in vitro) for 48 hours with M1 and then submitted to coculture, promoted a reduction in proliferation rate and increased 1205Lu cells apoptosis. Also, a significant reduction in nitrogen and oxygen reactive species production was seen in tumor cells.

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Besides that, when mononuclear cells were analyzed by flow cytometry an increase in CD3-/CD56+ Natural Killer cell population was seen in the treated group. Finally, when isolated from mononuclear cultures, and co-cultured with 1205Lu, those Natural Killer cells from M1 treated group, revealed significantly increased cytotoxicity against melanoma cells.

In conclusion, pre-treatment with the highly diluted natural complex M1 demonstrated to be an effective, non-toxic and inexpensive approach to improve important anti-tumor effects in human mononuclear cell population against melanoma.

Partial results of a Ph.D. thesis from Diogo Kuczera (and Dorly de Freitas Buchi supervisor)

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Dorly de Freitas Buchi