Research is being conducted in all areas of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, including CNS lymphoma. Some of the areas that scientists are investigating include:

• The changes in DNA that may cause the development of lymphoma cells from normal lymphocytes.
  
  
• Genetic mutations that can cause the cancer cells to grow rapidly and not develop into the normal cells of the immune system. Scientists are also studying gene therapy, including agents that prevent cells from becoming malignant and drugs that interfere with proteins that cause cancer.
  
  
• Development of microarrays, which are tests that can detect abnormal genes in a tumor. These tests may also provide information as to how the cancer will respond to chemotherapy treatments.
  
  
• New chemotherapy drugs and combinations of drugs for the most effective treatment. Clinical studies are also examining approaches to reduce resistance to chemotherapy drugs and improve the response rate to treatment.
  
  
• Biological therapy that can help destroy lymphoma cells while minimizing the harm to normal tissues.
  
  
• Immunotherapy that uses immune cells or antibodies to fight the cancer. Studies are examining monoclonal antibodies, which are laboratory-produced proteins that can destroy cancer cells. Some antibodies are being linked to radioactive material while others are added to chemotherapy treatments.
  
  
• The use of vaccines that could inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent cancer from recurring. Some vaccines contain antigens from cancer cells and  others contain DNA that targets specific cells.
  
  
• Advances in stem cell transplantation including more precise matching, the use of immunosuppressive drugs in patients and techniques to improve outcomes.
  

Many of these treatment strategies are available only through clinical trials. The physicians on a patient’s cancer care team can best determine if the individual is a candidate for a clinical trial.