Antiviral Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Summary

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is increasingly believed to be closely related to chronic stimulation of healthy B-cells. Identification of antigen(s) are relevant for the stimulation of CLL precursor cells is therefore of high interest. The investigators found recently evidence that a herpes virus is involved in this process of stimulation. Consequently, elimination of the antigenic stimulation of leukemic cells by this herpes virus may be expected to reduce or even inhibit propagation of leukemic cells. The investigators hypothesize that inhibition of CMV replication by a short course of antiviral treatment may reduce significantly proliferation rates of leukemic cells. To test this hypothesis, the investigators will treat 20 CLL patients with an antiviral drug for 3 months in a proof-of-concept clinical trial and leukemic cell counts measured before and after antiviral treatment. Antiviral treatment has the potential to treat the disease at its origin and therefore more efficiently than conventional chemotherapeutic regimens.

Timeline

Start

2010-12

Primary completion

2015-07

Completion

2015-07

Publications

• Background Steininger C, Rassenti LZ, Vanura K, Eigenberger K, Jager U, Kipps TJ, Mannhalter C, Stilgenbauer S, Popow-Kraupp T. Relative seroprevalence of human herpes viruses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Eur J Clin Invest. 2009 Jun;39(6):497-506. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.2009.02131.x.
• Background Vanura K, Le T, Esterbauer H, Spath F, Porpaczy E, Shehata M, Eigenberger K, Hauswirth A, Skrabs C, Kromer E, Schwarzinger I, Streubel B, Steininger C, Fonatsch C, Stilgenbauer S, Wagner O, Gaiger A, Jager U. Autoimmune conditions and chronic infections in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients at diagnosis are associated with unmutated IgVH genes. Haematologica. 2008 Dec;93(12):1912-6. doi: 10.3324/haematol.12955. Epub 2008 Oct 6.

Drugs

Indications