Bi-Specifics: The Basics

Well, this was one of those tough blogging weeks. I started three different posts, and then abandoned them for different reasons. That happens fairly frequently. Maybe I start a post, and then realize I don't fully understand the science behind it, so I don't want to post it because I might be giving incorrect information. Or maybe I decide that the information isn't as significant for Follicular Lymphoma as I had first thought. It happens. 

It's kind of rare that it happens three times in one week, though. Frustrating.

So I'm giving up on writing something significant for now.

Instead, I'm linking to a piece from Cancer Therapy Advisor called "Development and Clinical Application of CD19xCD3 and CD20xCD3 Bispecific Antibodies." It's an interview with Dr. Andreas Klein from Tufts Medical Center. He discusses the two main types of bi-specifics that are in development. Remember, a bi-specific is a treatment that connects to a protein on the surface of a cancer cell (the way Rituxan does), but also connects to a protein on a T cell, a powerful immune cell. By bringing the immune cell close to the cancer cell, the T cell can work on the cancer cell the way it would work on a virus or bacteria. 

CD19 bi-specifics are currently used on Leukemias, and CD20 bi-specifics are used on Lymphomas, like FL. I found it interesting that Dr. Klein sees bi-specifics as kind of in competition with CAR-T treatments. That makes sense -- the commentaries I saw after ASH this year did seem to try to compare those two types of treatments -- cost, effectiveness, safety. 

It's an interesting interview that gives some nice background on bi-specifics. 

I'll get back to writing soon. Wish me luck.