title: Evolution of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapeutics in oncology.
abstract: Approval of an anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody, rituximab, has revolutionized cancer treatment and also validated CD20 targeting for providing benefit and improvement of overall response rate in B cell malignancies. Although many patients have benefited from the treatment of rituximab, there are still significant numbers of patients who are refractory or develop resistance to the treatment. Here we discuss pre-clinically well-defined potential mechanisms of action for rituximab and review the ways next generation anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies can potentially exploit them to further enhance the treatment of B cell malignancies. Although the relative importance of each of these mechanism remains to be established in the clinic, well-designed clinical trials will help to define the efficacy and understanding of which effector activity of modified next generation anti-CD20 mAb will be important in the treatment of B-cell malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Merck Bioventures, Discovery Biologics, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. Ezogelin_oflazoglu@merck.com
authors.forename: Ezogelin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oflazoglu
authors.forename: Laurent P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Audoly
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008495:Medical Oncology; D000069283:Rituximab; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab