[Immunodepressive therapy of hemoblastosis]

If the Burnet's hypothesis of the antieoplastic "immunological surveillance" is strictly interpreted, it would result unappropriate to speak of "immunosuppressive therapy" in malignant hemoblastoses and allied neoplastic diseases, although the treatment of such affections consists of the administration of mostly immune system-depressing agent. Such an effect is strictly associated with the antiproliferative and cytotoxic action. Thus, according such theories, consequent immunological depression should be considered as an "unwanted effect" related to a treatment that had been started for quite different purposes. Neverthelese recent medical literature reports several works which seem to evidence the immunological barrier insufficiency against neoplastic illnesses. Thus the above mentioned theories have been often criticized. After such considerations the Author emphasizes that also the treatment now used in some chronic lymphatic affections may be considered as an immune system depressing cure. The same is true for drugs used against autoimmune occurrences observed during malignant hemoblastoses. In a next future such a treatment will be in all probability followed more extensively, if more specific anti-lymphocyte drugs will be discovered, and in relation with recent attempts of transplantating normal bone marrow into leukaemic patients.