title: Antibody engineering: facing new challenges in cancer therapy.
abstract: Antibody-based therapeutics are beginning to realize the promise enclosed in their early denomination as magic bullets. Initial disappointment has turned into clinical and commercial success, and engineered antibodies currently represent over 30% of biopharmaceuticals in clinical trials. Recent structural and functional data have allowed the design of a new generation of therapeutic antibodies, with strategies ranging from complement-mediated and antibody-dependant cellular cytotoxicity enhancement to improved cytotoxic payloads using toxins, drugs, radionucleids and viral delivery. This review considers the structure of different types of recombinant antibodies, their mechanism of action and how their efficacy has been increased using a broad array of approaches. We will also focus on the additional benefits offered by the use of gene therapy methods for the in vivo production of therapeutic antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Inmunologia, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain. lalvarezv.hpth@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: Angel M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Compte
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Vallina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007167:Immunotherapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins