New RIT Method Effectively Targets and Treats T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Ajay Gopal, MD, LRF grant recipient, discovers that a novel method for delivering RIT in mantle cell lymphoma shows promise in T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In 2007, Ajay Gopal, MD (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) received a three-year Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Initiative Grant from the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) to evaluate a new way of delivering radiation therapy directly to tumor sites, a process known as radioimmunotherapy (RIT), for MCL patients.
This new RIT method targets a previously untested protein found on the surface of lymphoma cells known as CD45. In pre-clinical tests, Dr. Gopal found CD45 to be an effective target for RIT. According to Dr. Gopal, it may also have several advantages over other forms of RIT that commonly use CD20 as a target, such as tositumomab (also known as Bexxar) and Ibritumomab tiuxetan (also known as Zevalin).
"These findings have allowed us to design a clinical trial to evaluate targeting CD45 on MCL with high-doses of radioisotopes in the clinic. We anticipate that this work will improve the treatment options for patients with MCL," states Dr. Gopal.
Based on the positive results found with MCL, Dr. Gopal was curious to see if other subtypes of lymphoma could benefit from this new RIT method.
In the laboratory, Dr. Gopal discovered that CD45 is also highly expressed in T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) cell lines and patient samples, making T-NHL patients potential beneficiaries of this new technique. Testing this RIT method in mice yielded improved complete remission rates and progression free survival. It was also discovered that the therapy spared non-blood related tissues from radiation exposure. This promising data was recently published in the journal Blood.
"These results, in conjunction with other preclinical and clinical data from our group, indicate the potential efficacy of this therapy in T-NHL and support the rapid translation of this strategy to the clinic," stated the paper. Dr. Gopal and his colleagues anticipate opening a clinical trial in 2009 to test this technique in conjunction with stem cell transplantation with relapsed T-NHL patients.
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