Variations in “rescuability” of immunoglobulin molecules from different forms of human lymphoma: implications for anti-idiotype vaccine development

• Published in: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Rodrı́guez-Calvillo, Mercedes, Inogés, Susana, López-Dı́az de Cerio, Ascensión, Zabalegui, Natalia, Villanueva, Helena, Bendandi, Maurizio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-10-2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Antibody Formation - drug effects; B-cell malignancies; bcl-2; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer Vaccines - pharmacology; Epitopes - therapeutic use; Feasibility; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Hybridoma; Idiotype vaccine; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Immunoglobulin Idiotypes - immunology; Immunoglobulin Idiotypes - therapeutic use; Leukemia, B-Cell - therapy; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Lymphoma, B-Cell - therapy; Medical sciences; PCR; Recombinant technology; bcl-2; Hybridoma; Recombinant technology; Idiotype vaccine; Feasibility; PCR; B-cell malignancies; Human; Immunoglobulins; Cancerology; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Malignant hemopathy; Vaccine; Lymphoma; Idiotype
• ISSN: 1040-8428; 1879-0461
• DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2004.05.002

Idiotypic (Id) vaccination has shown promising results in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). However, it still remains unclear whether the same approach might be suitable for the treatment of other B-cell malignancies. For this reason, we recently performed an interim analysis of patients proposed to receive this treatment at our center.
The feasibility of employing idiotype vaccines was evaluated for five different B-cell malignancies in their first relapse, both in terms of induction and fusion, as well as overall treatment. Our data suggest that, unlike follicular lymphoma (87%), this approach is not feasible to treat other B-cell malignancies (0–20%) such as mantle cell, small lymphocytic, diffuse large cell and Burkitt’s lymphoma (
P < 0.01). The main difficulties encountered were technical problems related to the survival of idiotype-producing hybridomas (83%) and the early loss of idiotype production by growing hybridomas (17%).
However, it remains possible that an idiotype vaccine might still be produced through molecular means for most, if not all cases of relapsing B-cell malignancies.