Overview on Immunopathology of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Tumor-Associated Antigens with Therapeutic Applications

Mahdi  Shabani; Davoud  Rostamzadeh; Mansoure  Mansouri; Mahmood  Jeddi-Tehrani

doi:10.18502/ajmb.v16i4.16737

Mahdi Shabani Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Davoud Rostamzadeh Medicinal Plants Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Mansoure Mansouri Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahmood Jeddi-Tehrani Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ajmb.v16i4.16737

Keywords: Cell therapy, Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hematologic malignancies, Immunotherapy, Tumor antigens

Abstract

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is a clinically and biologically heterogeneous disease with a variable clinical course. The induction of a generalized state of immunosuppression, leading to susceptibility to infections and the failure of anti-tumor immune responses, is a key feature of the clinical course of CLL. In addition to B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling in CLL, several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) have been reported to be constitutively active in leukemic B cells, resulting in promoted survival and resistance to apoptosis induced by chemotherapy. Several treatment options are available for CLL, including a watch-and-wait strategy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapies such as adoptive cellular therapy (CAR T-Cell Therapy), stem cell transplantation (allogeneic transplantation), radiation therapy and surgery. The identification of Tumor-Associated Antigens (TAAs) is the bottleneck of tumor immunology and immunotherapy, serving as promising targets for precise diagnosis, monitoring, or therapeutic approaches. Numerous TAAs have been identified, and their application in immunotherapy holds promise for the treatment of CLL. Furthermore, extensive ongoing research aims to identify new cancer TAAs. In this review, our objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of CLL immunology and recent findings regarding advances in TAAs with therapeutic applications in CLL.