Inhibition of melanogenesis and melanoma metastasis with p-amino benzoic acid (paba)

Abstract

The present invention relates to the inhibition of melanogenesis with para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and its use in treating melanotic cancer.

1 . A method for treating a mammal afflicted with melanoma comprising administering to said mammal an effective amount of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) in combination with radiation therapy or one or more chemotherapeutic agent(s). 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  which comprises administering between 10 mg/day and 20 g/day of PABA to said mammal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  which comprises administering between 20 mg/day and 12 g/day of PABA to said mammal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein PABA is administered by the oral, subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intratumoral route. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  comprising administering radiation therapy. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  which comprises administering said radiation therapy in doses of between 1 cGy and 100 Gy of radiation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  which comprises administering said radiation therapy in doses of between 2 cGy and 20 Gy of radiation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  comprising administering one or more chemotherapeutic agent(s). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more chemotherapeutic agents are selected from the group consisting of bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, docetaxel, carboplatin, and a platinum coordination compound. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more chemotherapeutic agents are selected from the group consisting of, podophyllotoxin, carboplatin, procarbazine, mechlorethamine, cyclophosphamide, camptothecin, ifosfamide, melphalan, chlorambucil, bisulfan, nitrosurea, adriamycin, dactinomycin, daunorubicin HCl, doxorubicin, doxorubicin HCL liposome injection, epirubicin hydrochloride, bleomycin, plicomycin, mitomycin, etoposide, tamoxifen, paclitaxel, transplatinum, 5-fluorouracil, vincristin, vinblastin, bortezomib (formerly known as PS-341), dicarbizide, a-interferon (Intron A), Genasense G3139 (Bc12 antisense oligonucleotide), gemcitabine HCL, capecitabine: 5′-deoxy-5-fluoro-N-[(pentyloxy)carbonyl]-cytidine, epithalones A and B, oxaliplatin, inhibitors of the EGFR tyrosine kinase (OSI-774), C225, trastuzamab, rituximab, aldesleukin, profimer sodium, denileukin difitox, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, tamoxifen citrate, filgrastim, Neupogen gemtuzumab ozogamicin, topotecan HCL, imatinib mesylate, letrozole, toremifene citrate, etoposide phosphate, amifostine, irinotecan HCL, alemtuzumab, busulfan, bleomycin sulfate, exemestane, anastrozole, docetaxel, temozolomide, and arsenic trioxide. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mammal with malignant melanoma has metastatic malignant melanoma. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mammal with malignant melanoma has recurrent malignant melanoma. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mammal with malignant melanoma has non-responsive malignant melanoma. 
     
     
         15 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and one or more chemotherapeutic agent(s) selected from the group consisting of paclitaxel, docetaxel, carboplatin, and a platinum coordination compound.