title: Targeted drug delivery via folate receptors in recurrent ovarian cancer: a review.
abstract: Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of gynecological cancer-related mortality, with the majority of women presenting with advanced disease; although chemotherapeutic advances have improved progression-free survival, conventional treatments offer limited results in terms of long-term responses and survival. Research has recently focused on targeted therapies, which represent a new, promising therapeutic approach, aimed to maximize tumor kill and minimize toxicity. Besides antiangiogenetic agents and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, the folate, with its membrane-bound receptor, is currently one of the most investigated alternatives. In particular, folate receptor (FR) has been shown to be frequently overexpressed on the surface of almost all epithelial ovarian cancers, making this receptor an excellent tumor-associated antigen. There are two basic strategies to targeting FRs with therapeutic intent: the first is based on anti-FR antibody (ie, farletuzumab) and the second is based on folate-chemotherapy conjugates (ie, vintafolide/etarfolatide). Both strategies have been investigated in Phase III clinical trials. The aim of this review is to analyze the research regarding the activity of these promising anti-FR agents in patients affected by ovarian cancer, including anti-FR antibodies and folate-chemotherapy conjugates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Innocenza
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palaia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giorgini
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Medici
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iadarola
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vertechy
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Lavinia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domenici
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Violante
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Donato
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomao
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muzii
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benedetti Panici
keywords: antifolate; farletuzumab; folate receptor; ovarian cancer; targeted therapies; vintafolide