This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lin, M. Z. Articles by Schiller, G. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lin, M. Z. Articles by Schiller, G. J. Related Collections Cancer Immunology Cancer Immunology: Antibodies Therapeutics and Targets: Experimental Therapeutics– Biologics

The Evolution of Antibodies into Versatile Tumor-Targeting Agents

¹ Departments of Medicine and ² Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

Requests for reprints: Gary J. Schiller, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California at Los Angeles, CHS 42-121, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Phone: 310-825-5513; Fax: 310-206-5511; E-mail: gschiller{at}mednet.ucla.edu.

In recent years, monoclonal antibodies have become important weapons in the arsenal of anticancer drugs, and in select cases are now the drugs of choice due to their favorable toxicity profiles. Originally developed to confer passive immunity against tumor-specific antigens, clinical uses of monoclonal antibodies are expanding to include growth factor sequestration, signal transduction modulation, and tumor-specific drug delivery. In this review, we shall present the origins of antibody therapeutics within the field of immunotherapy and their evolution into effective anticancer agents, then discuss their multiple mechanisms of action, the basis of their tumor selectivity, and their therapeutic properties compared with traditional therapies. Antibodies are complex molecules whose efficacy and toxicity depend on the antigen, the antibody, any conjugated groups, and even the patient. Finally, we shall present new technologies being developed to increase the efficacy and selectivity of antibody-based therapeutics. Interestingly, many of the new approaches straddle the middle ground between immunotherapy and the traditional modalities of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and can be seen as ways of combining the selectivity of the former with the efficacy of the latter.

Key Words: antibody immunotherapy • tumor antigens • immunoconjugates • growth factor receptors

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W.-C. Huang, J. J. Havel, H. E. Zhau, W. P. Qian, H.-W. Lue, C.-Y. Chu, T. Nomura, and L. W.K. Chung {beta}2-Microglobulin Signaling Blockade Inhibited Androgen Receptor Axis and Caused Apoptosis in Human Prostate Cancer Cells Clin. Cancer Res., September 1, 2008; 14(17): 5341 - 5347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Baba, M. Okamoto, T. Hamasaki, S. Horai, X. Wang, Y. Ito, Y. Suda, and N. Arima Highly Enhanced Expression of CD70 on Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1-Carrying T-Cell Lines and Adult T-Cell Leukemia Cells J. Virol., April 15, 2008; 82(8): 3843 - 3852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Petrausch, J. Dernedde, V. Coelho, H. Panjideh, D. Frey, H. Fuchs, E. Thiel, and P. M. Deckert A33scFv Green fluorescent protein, a recombinant single-chain fusion protein for tumor targeting Protein Eng. Des. Sel., December 1, 2007; 20(12): 583 - 590. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Horner, C. Frank, C. Dechant, R. Repp, M. Glennie, M. Herrmann, and B. Stockmeyer Intimate Cell Conjugate Formation and Exchange of Membrane Lipids Precede Apoptosis Induction in Target Cells during Antibody-Dependent, Granulocyte-Mediated Cytotoxicity J. Immunol., July 1, 2007; 179(1): 337 - 345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. Dhodapkar and M. V. Dhodapkar Recruiting dendritic cells to improve antibody therapy of cancer PNAS, May 3, 2005; 102(18): 6243 - 6244. [Full Text] [PDF]