Dr. Abdul-Hay on the Future of Targeted Therapy in ALL

Mohammad Maher Abdul-Hay, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, director of the Clinical Leukemia Program in NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, and associate director for research in the Bellevue Cancer Center, discusses the future of targeted therapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Conventional chemotherapy has less of a role in the treatment of patients with ALL since the advent of targeted therapy, says Abdul-Hay.

Therapeutic modalities such as bispecific T-cell engagers, monoclonal antibodies, and CAR T-cell therapy have seen rapid development in ALL, explains Abdul-Hay. Moreover, the concept of utilizing a patient’s own immune system to attack malignant cells appears promising in this setting.

Going forward, investigators will aim to improve upon the advances that have been made with targeted therapy and other novel agents in ALL, concludes Abdul-Hay.