Monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of lymphoid malignancies

Among the different histological groups, follicular lymphoma (FL) has been proven to be the most sensitive to Rit when used as a single agent, with overall response rates of 80% and 50% in untreated and previously treated patients, respectively. Moreover, Rit in combination with chemotherapy is superior to chemotherapy alone in terms of response rate and event-free survival, while early data indicate a significant prolongation in overall survival as well. Similarly, the addition of Rit to standard chemotherapy improves the disease-free and overall survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. There is no doubt that Rit represents one of the greatest achievements of biotechnology engineering. However, we need to understand better the mechanisms of its action as well as the mechanisms of resistance to Rit, in order to design more effective treatment modalities.