Optimising the conditioning regimen for acute myeloid leukaemia

The conditioning regimen administered prior to allogeneic transplantation for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) must be sufficiently immunosuppressive to ensure engraftment, and contributes to the anti-leukaemic impact of the procedure. A broad spectrum of regimens have been studied, varying in their intensity, whether high-dose or reduced intensity, and in the agents used, containing total body irradiation (TBI) plus cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, busulfan and/or anti-thymocyte globulin. Over the past 2 decades, research has influenced the way conditioning regimens are applied. Newer research shows that targeted radiotherapy using an anti-CD45 antibody should be able to reduce toxicity, improve tumour cell kill and thereby improve results.