Potential New Agents for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment.

January 26, 2011

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Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2011 Jan 14;

Authors: Kilianska ZM, Rogalinska M

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most frequent type of hematological

cancer in the Western World. An accumulation of leukemic cells in peripheral

blood of patients is a result of apoptosis disturbances as well as an increase

in germinal centers CLL cell proliferation. The differences between CLL patients

in the course and response to therapy reflects personal variability between

patients in their genetic material. It was documented that many sufferers from

CLL are over 60 years old, and because of many countries’ population

obsolescence this type of leukemia could become more frequent in the future. CLL

remains incurable, and the therapy regimens available at present could induce

even complete remissions, but finally a relapse of the disease. The etiology of

this disease is still not known, but our understanding of the processes running

in CLL cells has significantly increased. A number of new agents with potential

of CLL cell elimination by apoptosis or autophagy were characterized. Some of

them reflect potential in cell sensitization to standard therapy. The major

challenge for the future is to develop targeted anti-cancer therapy and design

the optimal personalized manner of CLL treatment. A special interest is focused

on anti-cancer agents – natural substances of plant origin. This paper reviews

chosen new anti-leukemic agents belonging to different drug-classes (new

monoclonal antibodies or apoptosis-, BCR signaling- and cell cycle-related

inhibitors, substances of plant origin) which are under intense investigation in

preclinical studies and early clinical trials.

PMID: 21235440 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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