This week's artwork was donated by Lauren , a pediatric cancer patient who received treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia .
Most lymphomas are of B-cell origin.
B-lymphocytes are cells of the normal immune system and can be identified by structures on the cell surface. One of these structures is called the CD20 antigen. This particular antibody was believed to be especially promising, according to the researchers, because previous studies have shown that its structure is able to activate the human immune system better than many other monoclonal antibodies, most of which are derived from mouse cells. Preliminary results from the current large Phase III trial are encouraging, according to Dr. McLaughlin. However, it will be important to wait or the final result of the trial to determine if these results are seen in a larger number of patients, and what impact they may have on clinical outcome.