New therapeutic strategies for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Although contemporary treatments cure more than 80% of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), some patients require intensive treatment and many patients still develop serious acute and late complications owing to the side effects of the treatments. Furthermore, the survival rate for adults with ALL remains below 40%. Therefore, new treatment strategies are needed to improve not only the cure rate but also the quality of life of these patients. Here, we discuss emerging new treatments that might improve the clinical outcome of patients with ALL. These include new formulations of existing chemotherapeutic agents, new antimetabolites and nucleoside analogues, monoclonal antibodies against leukaemia-associated antigens, and molecular therapies that target genetic abnormalities of the leukaemic cells and their affected signalling pathways.
Pui
Ching-Hon
CH
Department of Oncology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 North Lauderdale Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA. ching-hon.pui@stjude.org
Jeha
Sima
S
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009705:Nucleosides