Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. The Global Cancer Observatory reports that in 2022, over 150,000 new cases were reported in Europe, and the numbers continue to rise. When possible, surgery represents the first therapeutic option. Moreover, in the most severe cases, patients undergo adjuvant therapies to reduce the risk of metastasis and/or relapse. However, current treatments are not always effective, and patients with this type of melanoma often experience recurrence. The metastatic disease, indeed, is still responsible for 90% of deaths. It has been demonstrated that mutations in the BRAF gene are present in about 66% of these patients. Due to this, several targeted therapies have been developed to block the mutated BRAF protein, and some drugs are now in clinical use. Despite initial effectiveness, many patients eventually develop resistance to these treatments overtime. Thus, finding new strategies to overcome this resistance is a major focus of ongoing melanoma research.
Nanotechnology has been proven a promising tool for several biomedical applications, including targeted cancer therapy. The SUNSET project aimed to develop a new nanoplatform based on multi-engineered selenium nanoparticles for gene targeting therapy of resistant melanoma. Here, selenium-based nanoparicles (SeNPs) were functionalized with a small interfering RNA against BRAF (siBRAF) and covered with hyaluronic acid (HA) to selectively enter melanoma cells. The nanosystem aimed to block the production of the BRAF protein by overcoming the resistance of BRAF mutated melanoma to the current treatments. To purpose this objectives green chemistry procedures were exclusively used in the preparation of these SeNPs.
