Abstract

Targeted therapies in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

Author(s): Sapna Khubchandani and Myron S Czuczman

The incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphomas has risen in recent years. Although several chemotherapy regimens are efficacious in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the addition of targeted therapies has become an indispensable part of their treatment. Monoclonal antibodies directed against lymphocytes in different stages of maturation have changed the treatment paradigm for lymphoma. Since these antibodies bind with high affinity to cell surface antigens, they target malignant cells and spare normal tissue, thereby causing less nonspecific toxicity. Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody directed against CD20, was the first antibody to be US FDA-approved for the treatment of lymphoma. Several clinical trials are ongoing that will help to establish the role of targeted agents in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This review provides a summary of targeted agents already approved or in clinical trials for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.