title: Monoclonal antibody therapy of cancer.
abstract: Monoclonal antibody therapy is beginning to realize its promise. Efficacy has been seen in clinical trials using antibodies that target tumor cell surface antigens such as B-cell idiotypes, CD20 on malignant B cells, CD33 on leukemic blasts, and HER2/neu on breast cancer. Unconjugated immunoglobulins directed against CD20 induce partial and complete responses in up to 50% of patients with advanced, indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. When such antibodies are conjugated to radionuclides, complete and overall response rates increase. Conjugates composed of anti-CD33 antibodies and the chemotherapy agent, calicheamicin, show promising activity in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myelogenous leukemia Treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer using the anti-HER2/neu antibody, trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech, San Francisco, CA) leads to objective responses in some patients with overexpression of the HER2/neu oncoprotein. These exciting results provide a basis for further refinement of the existing approaches to develop new antibody-based cancer therapy strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000922:Immunotoxins