The NK-1 receptor is expressed in human melanoma and is involved in the antitumor action of the NK-1 receptor antagonist aprepitant on melanoma cell lines.

Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, is aggressive and resistant to current therapies. It has been previously reported that the substance P and neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonists induce cell proliferation and cell inhibition, respectively, in human melanoma cell lines. Aprepitant is a selective high-affinity antagonist of the human NK-1 receptor.

Antitumoral action of the neurokinin-1-receptor antagonist L-733,060 and mitogenic action of substance P on human retinoblastoma cell lines.

Purpose: Activation of the neurokinin-1 receptor is known to induce proliferation in tumor cells, but it is as yet unknown whether this applies to retinoblastoma. This was an in vitro study of the growth inhibitory capacity of the potent and long-acting neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist L-733,060, at concentrations ranging from 7.5 to 20 microM, against the human retinoblastoma line WERI-Rb-1 and from 10 to 25 microM against the human retinoblastoma line Y-79.

Antitumoral action of the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist L-733 060 on human melanoma cell lines.

Melanoma represents 1% of all cancers and accounts for approximately 65% of skin cancer deaths. At present, effective treatment does not exist. Substance P (SP) is a neuropeptide expressed in invasive malignant melanomas.