Antibody and cellular immunotherapies for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults

Abstract

Despite improvements in the outcomes of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), traditional therapies (including hematopoietic stem cell transplant) often still fail. Antigen-specific immunotherapies for the treatment of ALL such as monoclonal antibodies, antibody–drug conjugates, bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells have demonstrated remarkable clinical efficacy and are rapidly evolving. With indisputable activity in patients with relapsed or refractory ALL, efforts now hope to integrate these agents into earlier phases of treatment. In this review, we will discuss the available antibody and cellular-based immunotherapies for the treatment of patients with ALL and provide a clinical and biologic framework with which to inform treatment approaches.

Keywords:

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
• Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells
• Antibody
• Blinatumomab, Inotuzumab
• Immunotherapy

Acknowledgments

E.K. would like to thank Dr. Cameron J. Turtle for his dedicated mentorship and for his role in helping to develop the framework and perspective under which we consider the application of CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapies for B-cell malignancies.

Disclosure statement

R.D.C. has done consulting for Amgen, Kite/Gilead, and Pfizer; he has received payments for lectures from Amgen and Pfizer; he is on a data and safety committee for Pepromene Bio; his institution has received research funding from Amgen, Kite/Gilead, Merck, Pfizer, and Vanda Pharmaceuticals; and his spouse is employed by and has stock options from Seagen.