Next-generation immunotherapies for lymphoma: one foot in the future

Improved understanding of the interactions between cancer cells and the immune system combined with technological advances has led to the development of novel types of immunotherapies. These include checkpoint inhibitors, T-cell engager antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor T cells which have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in B-cell malignancies, including anti-PD1 antibodies in Hodgkin lymphoma, and T-cell engager antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor T cells in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, leading to their approval in these indications. Recent clinical data suggest that these immunotherapies may also benefit patients with other types of hematologic malignancies, particularly patients with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Here, we review the most recent clinical data regarding these different immunotherapies in patients with lymphoma. Ongoing and future studies should further define which immunotherapy may best apply to a given patient in order to provide a 'personalized immunotherapy'.