Monoclonal antibody therapy CD20 targeting

The most recent additions to therapy in CLL are the monoclonal antibodies directed against targets on lymphocytes. Rimximab targets the CD20 molecule which is expressed on B lymphocytes. Alemtuzumab was approved in May 2001 for the treatment of patients with CLL who had failed fludarabine therapy. Alemmzumab targets... 

Indolent lymphomas are known to be responsive to radiation therapy (i.e., radiosensitive), and the rationale of radioimmunotherapy is that the antibody will act as a guided missile to deliver its payload (i.e., radiation) to its target (i.e., lymphoma cells that express the CD20 antigen). The specificity of the monoclonal antibody allows delivery of the radiation selectively to the tumor (and adjacent normal tissues). 

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