Abstract
Immunotherapy for B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) and other haematological malignancies may consist of passive antibody, active immunization or adoptive T-cell transfer. This chapter will focus on T-lymphocyte immunotherapy; an approach supported by earlier observations that the beneficial effects of allogeneic stem cell transplantation depend, in part, on the graft-versus-leukaemia effects mediated by these cells. One promising strategy consists of the genetic manipulation of effector T lymphocytes to express tumour-specific T-cell receptors or chimeric antigen receptors directed against surface antigens on the B-CLL cells. This methodology is now being integrated with the concept that tumour recurrence may be due to the persistence of a reservoir of more primitive and chemoresistant tumour cells, dubbed 'cancer stem cells', with self-renewal capacity. Identification and characterization of these cancer stem cells in B-CLL is crucial for the development of new anti-tumour agents, and for the identification of target antigens for cellular immunotherapy. This chapter will describe how immunotherapy may be directed to a more primitive side population of B-CLL cells.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 375-389 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Best Practice and Research: Clinical Haematology |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2008 |
Keywords
- adoptive T-cell transfer
- cancer stem cells
- CD19
- CD20
- chimeric antigen receptor
- chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
- immunoglobulins
- immunotherapy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research
- Oncology