An update on immunotherapies including chimeric antigen receptor T-cells therapy and stem cell transplantation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Levanto G. Schachter, Anthony R. Mato

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Immunotherapy has become a cornerstone of therapy in oncology. For chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the treatment landscape has been changing quickly. What historically has been a disease treated with chemoimmunotherapy, and transplant in select cases, now has several newly available, targeted therapies. Many of the newly approved therapies are targeted at the B cell receptor pathway, and also have notable effect on the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, there are a number of trials looking at immune checkpoint blockade in CLL with promise noted when combined with other immune modulating therapies. Many advances have also been made in cellular therapies in CLL, including methods of allogeneic stem cells transplantation and bioengineered chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR-T) which direct the immune system to kill cancer cells expressing specific antigens. The latter therapy may ultimately allow patients to avoid the risks of an allogeneic transplant while harnessing a T cell vs. leukemia effect. The future of therapy in CLL may include utilization of novel immunotherapies in combination with agents that target key pathways such a B cell receptor signaling and cell death machinery.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)68-77
Number of pages10
JournalTranslational Cancer Research
Volume6
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adoptive
  • Antibodies
  • B-cell
  • Bone marrow transplantation
  • Chronic
  • Humanized
  • Immunotherapy
  • Leukemia
  • Lymphocytic
  • Monoclonal
  • Tumor microenvironment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Cancer Research

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