Advancements in targeting CD30 for lymphoma therapy: a historical perspective and future directions

CD30 is a transmembrane protein of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. It is expressed on a small subset of activated T and B lymphocytes, and various lymphoid neoplasms, including classical Hodgkin lymphoma and many non-Hodgkin lymphomas in both pediatric and adult populations.

This review delves into the significance of CD30 as a therapeutic target and a prognostic indicator for various lymphomas. It provides a comprehensive overview of anti-CD30 therapeutic interventions developed to date, offering insights into the future direction of lymphoma treatment research. Literature search was conducted from January 1987 to December 2024 using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant studies.

CD30 has emerged as a critical marker of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic strategies of lymphomas. The introduction of brentuximab vedotin (BV) (Adcetris), an antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD30, has significantly advanced the treatment landscape for multiple lymphoma types, demonstrating enhanced efficacy and manageable safety profiles in CD30+ lymphomas patients. However, drug resistance is observed in few patients. Concurrently, innovative therapeutic strategies targeting CD30, such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cells therapies and bispecific antibodies, are in development. This underscores a strong and ongoing research effort aimed at improving the management of patients with CD30+ lymphomas.