Monoclonal Antibodies in Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are a relatively newinnovation in cancer treatment. At present, some monoclonalantibodies have increased the efficacy of the treatment of certaintumors with acceptable safety profiles. When monoclonal antibodiesenter the body and attach to cancer cells, they function in severaldifferentways: first, they can trigger the immune systemto attack andkill that cancer cell; second, they can block the growth signals; third,they can prevent the formation of new blood vessels. Some nakedMAbs such as rituximab can be directed to attach to the surface ofcancer cells and make them easier for the immune system to find anddestroy. The ability to produce antibodies with limited immunogenicityhas led to the production and testing of a host of agents, severalof which have demonstrated clinically important antitumor activityand have received U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval ascancer treatments. To reduce the immunogenicity of murine antibodies,murine molecules are engineered to remove the immunogeniccontent and to increase their immunologic efficiency.Radiolabeled antibodies composed of antibodies conjugated toradionuclides show efficacy in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Antivascularendothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies such asbevacizumab intercept the VEGF signal of tumors, thereby stoppingthem from connecting with their targets and blocking tumor growth.Trifunctional antibodies have revealed a new perspective in cancertherapy extending beyond primary destruction of tumor cells.

Keywords

• monoclonal antibody
• tumor
• immunogenicity
• radioimmunotherapy
• vascular endothelial growth factor