Milatuzumab: a promising new agent for the treatment of lymphoid malignancies.
BACKGROUND
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma are often incurable and respond to a limited set of treatment options. The selective expression of CD74, the invariant chain of the MHC class II molecule, in these malignancies provides an attractive target for antibody-based therapy.


OBJECTIVE
This review evaluates the preclinical data for milatuzumab, a humanized antibody targeting CD74, as a treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and multiple myeloma.


METHODS
A review of the literature was carried out using PubMed. Current Phase I protocols using milatuzumab are summarized.


CONCLUSIONS
Milatuzumab is cytotoxic to lymphoma and multiple myeloma cell lines and mouse-human xenografts. The efficacy dramatically increases when milatuzumab is attached to a toxin or a radioactive agent. Phase I trials of milatuzumab are now underway in human subjects with lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Mark
Tomer
T
Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, Center for Lymphoma and Myeloma, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, 525 East 68th Street, NY 10021, USA. tom9009@med.cornell.edu
Martin
Peter
P
Leonard
John P
JP
Niesvizky
Ruben
R
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; C045084:invariant chain; C540932:milatuzumab