CD20-targeted therapy: a breakthrough in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Targeting the CD20 antigen on B lymphocytes with the monoclonal antibody rituximab has greatly improved the outcome of patients with B-cell malignancies. Despite the success of rituximab, resistance occurs in about half of the patients, resulting in non-response to treatment or early relapse of the original disease. A better understanding of the mechanism of rituximab resistance has lead to the development of novel, improved anti-CD20 antibodies. This review describes the development of CD20-targeted therapy from its historical background towards the next generation of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies and explains new strategies to overcome resistance.