Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Hairy cell leukemia future or investigational therapies
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Future or Investigational Therapies
Future or Investigational Therapies
- Three immunotoxin drugs are in Phase II trials at the NIH‘s National Cancer Institute in the U.S.: BL22[1], HA22[2] and LMB-2.[3]
- All of these protein-based drugs combine part of an anti-B cell antibody with a bacterial toxin to kill the cells on internalization. BL22 and HA22 attack a common protein called CD22, which is present on hairy cells and healthy B cells. LMB-2 attacks a protein called CD25, which is not present in HCL-variant, so LMB-2 is only useful for patients with HCL-classic or the Japanese variant.
- All three of these therapies are available only at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. While initial results are generally favorable, it is likely to be a number of years before these drugs are available on the market.
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Grammar Reviewer: Natalie Harpenau, B.S.[2]