Advances in immunotherapy of hematologic malignancies: Cellular and humoral approaches

Monoclonal antibodies have become an important modality for cancer therapy, Genetically engineered chimeric and humanized antibodies have demonstrated activity against overt lymphoma and leukemia, as well as minimal residual disease. Radioimmunotherapy in both nonmyeloablative and myeloablative regi mens has produced significant responses and also minimized radiation exposu re to normal tissues, Targeted alpha -particle therapy offers the possibili ty of selective tumor cell kill, Antibody-drug conjugates have produced rem issions in acute leukemia, Many proteins potentially act as leukemia or lym phoma-specific antigens for major histocompatibility complex-restricted T c ell cytotoxicity, These include the idiotype proteins, breakpoint cluster r egion (bcr)-abl and other fusion oncoproteins, myeloid-specific differentia tion antigens and minor histocompatibility antigens. Clinical trials exploi ting the new understanding of the T cell immunology are underway. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.