CD19 as an attractive target for antibody-based therapy.

Despite progress in the treatment of B cell disorders, novel treatment approaches are still highly needed. CD19 is a pan-B cell marker that is recognized as a potential immunotherapy target for B cell disorders, including blood-borne malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Although initial attempts to target CD19 were unsuccessful, a new wave of investigational agents is currently in development.

Novel anti-melanoma immunotherapies: disarming tumor escape mechanisms.

The immune system fights cancer and sometimes temporarily eliminates it or reaches an equilibrium stage of tumor growth. However, continuous immunological pressure also selects poorly immunogenic tumor variants that eventually escape the immune control system. Here, we focus on metastatic melanoma, a highly immunogenic tumor, and on anti-melanoma immunotherapies, which recently, especially following the FDA approval of Ipilimumab, gained interest from drug development companies.