title: Mechanism of action and resistance to monoclonal antibody therapy.
abstract: Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) are increasingly used in the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases. The most commonly employed humanized and chimeric MoAbs are rituximab, alemtuzumab (Campath-1H, Ilex Pharmaceuticals, San Antonio, TX), and gemtuzumab-ozogamicin (Mylotarg, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, St Davids, PA). The mechanism of action of these antibodies, and host and cellular factors influencing the response, are not completely known. Induction of apoptosis, antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC), and complement-mediated cell death (CDC) is the proposed mechanism of action of these antibodies. We review the current understanding of the mechanism of action of and resistance to these MoAbs.
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'Hematopatologia, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Neus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Villamor
authors.forename: Emili
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montserrat
authors.forename: Dolors
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Colomer
mesh_terms: D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000494:pharmacology; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000276:immunology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D000079982:Gemtuzumab; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D000069283:Rituximab
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000922:Immunotoxins; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000069283:Rituximab; D000079982:Gemtuzumab