title: Immunotherapy for pediatric leukemia.
abstract: Substantial progress has been made in the treatment of leukemia in childhood. Despite this, leukemia remains a leading cause of pediatric cancer-related mortality and the prognosis is guarded for individuals with relapsed or refractory disease. Standard therapies are associated with a wide array of acute and long-term toxicities and further treatment intensification may not be tolerable or beneficial. The curative potential of allogeneic stem cell transplantation is due in part to the graft-versus-leukemia effect, which provides evidence for the therapeutic capacity of immune-based therapies. In recent years there have been significant advances in the development and application of immunotherapy in the treatment of leukemias, including the demonstration of activity in chemotherapy-resistant cases. This review summarizes immunotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of pediatric leukemia including current results and future directions.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, MD , USA.
authors.forename: Nirali N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Hema
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dave
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wayne
keywords: acute lymphoblastic leukemia; adoptive cell therapy; application of immunotherapy; hematologic malignancies; immunotherapy; monoclonal antibodies; pediatric leukemia