Can CLL be treated with immunotherapy?

How Do Monoclonal Antibodies Work in CLL? Monoclonal antibodies have become an important part of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatment, but medications such as rituximab and obinutuzumab can sound mysterious. What exactly is an antibody, how can it be turned against a cancer cell, and why are these treatments given intravenously rather than as pills? In this episode of CLL Unlocked, Dr. Jeff Sharman explains how monoclonal antibodies harness the immune system to recognize and destroy CLL cells. The story begins with the normal role of antibodies in fighting infection and follows the development of this technology through rituximab, the first monoclonal antibody approved for cancer, to obinutuzumab, the anti-CD20 antibody more commonly incorporated into modern CLL treatment today. You'll also learn what CD20 is, how antibodies recruit different parts of the immune system to kill CLL cells, and why obinutuzumab and rituximab behave differently. Dr. Sharman discusses the infusion reactions that can occur with obinutuzumab, why they happen predominantly with the first treatment, and how experienced treatment teams manage them. Topics covered: What monoclonal antibodies are and how they work Why CLL cells can be targeted through CD20 How rituximab helped introduce immunotherapy into cancer treatment Rituximab versus obinutuzumab How antibodies recruit the immune system to destroy CLL cells Why these treatments are given intravenously Understanding infusion reactions with obinutuzumab How anti-CD20 antibodies are combined with BTK inhibitors and venetoclax The role of antibodies in modern doublet and triplet CLL therapy Why an intravenous treatment is not necessarily chemotherapy Monoclonal antibodies are a form of targeted immunotherapy, not traditional chemotherapy. Understanding how they work can make the sometimes complicated names, infusion schedules, and side effects of these important CLL treatments much easier to understand. For companion articles, downloadable slides, and more evidence-based CLL education, visit CLLUnlocked.com.