Targeted therapies in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are increasing in incidence and will be diagnosed in more than 55,000 individuals this year alone [1,2]. The 13 most frequent clinical classes recognized in the lymphoma classification include diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), marginal B-cell lymphoma of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, anaplastic large T/null cell lymphoma, lymphoblastic lymphoma, Burkitt-like lymphoma, marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the nodal type, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma [3]. The ultimate goal of any tumor therapy involves the destruction of tumor cells by targeting tumor-specific surface or intracellular properties and thereby sparing normal tissue [4]. In NHL, monoclonal antibodies binding to antigens specific to lymphocytes in different stages of maturation have recently changed the treatment paradigms for this disease. Some of the antigens being targeted include CD20, CD22, CD19, CD37 and CD80 on B-cell surface; and CD52, CD4, CD3 and CD8 on T cells [4].