Antiviral Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
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.