title: Treating adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia: new pharmacotherapy options.
abstract: Advances in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) therapy has led to long-term survival rates in children. However, only 30%-40% of adults achieve long-term disease-free survival. After relapse, the outcome of salvage chemotherapy is very disappointing with less than 10% of long survival. Novel agents are therefore desperately required to improve response rates and survival, but also the quality of life of patients. Areas covered: The following review is a comprehensive summary of various novel options reported over the past few years in the therapeutic area of adult ALL. Expert opinion: Identifying key components involved in disease pathogenesis may lead to new approaches. In a near future, the incorporation of monoclonal antibodies and T-cell directed approaches including blinatumomab and chimeric antigen receptor T cells may increase the cure rates and may reduce the need for intensive therapy.
authors.affiliation: a Hematology Department , Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon-Sud Hospital , Pierre Bénite , France.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: a Hematology Department , Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon-Sud Hospital , Pierre Bénite , France.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Jeune
mesh_terms: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001087:Arabinonucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077866:Clofarabine; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D011684:Purine Nucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012008:Recurrence; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001087:Arabinonucleosides; D011684:Purine Nucleosides; D011744:Pyrimidinones; C113101:forodesine; D000077866:Clofarabine
keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; monoclonal antibodies; prognosis; targeted therapy; treatment