LYMPHOMAS IN THE 90S

In the years ahead the challenge of treating lymphomas will be complicated by increasing presentations in elderly patients, HIV-Infected patients, and association with the HTLV-1 virus. In addition, patients failing conventional therapy require alternative measures with a higher therapeutic/toxic ratio than current modalities offer. Our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of lymphomas is opening new therapeutic avenues. Deregulation of cell proliferation by overexpression of the myc oncogene and the blocking of apoptosis by overexpression of the bcl-2 oncogene are current themes in our understanding of lymphoid neoplasms. Evolving strategies include targeting radioisotopes or toxins to uniquely expressed epitopes on lymphoma cells via antibodies or cell receptor ligands, the induction of apoptosis by nucleoside analogs and the disruption of oncogene mRNA by antisense oligonucleotides.