Immunotoxins for treatment of leukemia and lymphoma.

Less than fifteen years have passed since the practical applications of antibody-directed cell targeting were conceived in the laboratory. In vitro and in vivo applications for immunotoxins are being developed in a variety of protocols to treat human cancer. Immunotoxins may be particularly well-suited for the treatment of hematological cancers where malignant cells are more accessible than in solid tumors. Experimental results and clinical responses have provided encouragement, especially in light of the complexities of cancer biology, while the problems do not appear insurmountable. Continued basic research in cell biology combined with advances in manufacturing techniques will undoubtedly propose improvements in immunotoxins as well as new applications.