ABSTRACT
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a pluripotent stem cell disorder characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome which is formed by the translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22. The disease is characterized by progression from a subacute chronic phase to a rapidly lethal blastic phase. Chemotherapeutic strategies may reduce tumor burden in CML, but are not curative. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) remains the treatment of choice for those patients of appropriate age and with a suitable HLAmatched donor, and has been associated with prolonged disease-free survival in the majority of those patients who survive the peritransplant period. Unfortunately, many patients with CML are unable to receive a BMT, due to age, comorbidity, or lack of an available donor. The use of immunomodulators such as interferon- (IFN-) forms the mainstay of treatment for those patients who do not undergo BMT. The search for other treatment modalities has resulted in renewed interest in immunotherapeutic strategies for the disease.
