CD8A and melanoma: Given the pivotal role of the autophagy–MHC-I axis in tumor immune evasion and the clinical limitations of current autophagy inhibitors, this study aims to investigate whether CEP can enhance the immunogenicity of melanoma by specifically modulating the autophagy pathway, thereby promoting CD8+ T cell-mediated tumor recognition and clearance, while synergistically enhancing the efficacy of PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade.