title: Potential use of CD40 ligand for immunotherapy of childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
abstract: Around 20% of children affected by B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP-ALL) still experience a recurrence of the disease after diagnosis, despite a significant improvement in the cure rate (80%). Moreover, standard therapies have high and often unacceptable acute and chronic organ toxicity, with an increased risk for secondary malignancies. Therefore, new strategies are needed to improve overall survival and decrease treatment-associated morbidity. Recent in-vitro and in-vivo studies have demonstrated that CD40 engagement improves tumour immunogenicity and, consequently, generates a strong antitumour immune response. The CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) system is of pivotal importance in the immune response via interactions between T cells and antigen-presenting cells. The general aim of this chapter is to review the feasibility of developing cellular strategies to increase childhood BCP-ALL immunogenicity, and the potential use of CD40L as a new strategy to induce an antileukaemia immune response in BCP-ALL.
authors.affiliation: Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Clinica Pediatrica Università Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo, Via Donizetti, 20052 Monza (MI), Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: Virna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: Martin Hernán
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bonamino
mesh_terms: D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D015452:Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D023201:CD40 Ligand