Novel agents for the treatment of childhood leukemia: an update

Abstract

Achieving lower morbidity and higher survival rates in the treatment of childhood leukemia has been a paradigm of success in modern oncology. However, serious long-term health complications occur in very large populations of childhood leukemia survivors, in the case of both acute lymphoid leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Additionally, 15% of acute lymphoid leukemia patients have treatment failures, and rates are even higher in childhood AML. In the last few decades, as a result of well-tested experiments that statistically analyzed treatment cohorts, new agents have emerged as alternatives or supplements to established treatments, in which high survival and/or less morbidity were observed. This review provides an overview of better practice in the treatment of childhood leukemia.

CD4+CD25highCD127low/-FoxP3+ Regulatory T-Cell Population in Acute Leukemias: A Review of the Literature

“…This confirmed previous observations about the interdependence of various mechanisms of cancer in the human body. Therefore, the time is coming to apply various antitumor immunotherapy methods, both passive and active, supported by targeted therapy of kinase inhibitors [ 90 , 91 ]. This approach, like the introduction of multidrug chemotherapy for the treatment of pediatric ALL by the BFM group, should bring further progress and hope for children with poor-prognosis ALL.…”

Lactoferrin: A Glycoprotein Involved in Immunomodulation, Anticancer, and Antimicrobial Processes

“…Leukemia is the cancer with the highest prevalence among children [ 81 ]. Currently, treatments for different types of leukemia, including acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoid leukemia, improve the survival rate in diagnosed children; however, the long-term consequences can manifest as cardiovascular diseases that increase the risk of death [ 82 , 83 ]. In this sense, once again, Lf could be an alternative that minimizes side effects in patients, since it was shown to induce apoptosis in leukemia [ 70 , 84 ].…”

Drug Resistance Biomarkers and Their Clinical Applications in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

“…Since the effectiveness and cure rate of conventional chemotherapy depend on many individual factors, such as genetic and protein expression differences in one patient vs. another, the field of precision and personalized medicine is growing incredibly fast (166). Some of the diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers are currently used in clinical practice of personalized and targeted oncotherapy, such as: tyrosine kinase inhibitors, e.g., Gleevec R (imatinib; Novartis) in ALL patients with BCR-ABL1 gene rearrangements; FLT3 inhibitor Hydrate R (CEP-701, lestaurtinib; Cephalon Inc.) in ALL patients with MLL rearrangements; and purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitor Mundesine R (forodesine; Mundipharma AG) in pediatric T-ALL with purine nucleoside phosphorylase mutation (167,168).…”