Patients undergo tumor tissue biopsies at baseline and after completion of study therapy for 4E-BP1 and Akt-mediated downstream biomarkers, stem cell subpopulation, and patient-specific micro-RNA signatures studies by IHC and PCR assays. Blood and urine samples are also collected at baseline and periodically during study for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies, circulating melanoma endothelial cells and progenitor cell levels, collagen cryptic epitopes, serum markers of angiogenesis, and autoimmune biomarker analysis by ELISA.