Monoclonal antibodies and treatment of cancer

Antibody-based therapy has emerged as an integral part of effective therapies for a number of malignancies. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have considerable utility in cancer therapy because of their specificity and ability to bind preferentially to tumour-specific antigens without causing significant side effects compared with conventional cytotoxic drugs. Antibodies raised against CD20 on the surface of B cells (e.g. rituximab) have emerged as major components of lymphoma treatment.1 Exciting and clinically important antibody therapies are widely used to treat HER2/neu over-expressing breast cancer, 2 epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor overexpressing malignancies3, 4 and cancers that are driven by pro angiogenic properties of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).5 This chapter reviews some of the pertinent data and mechanisms of action for the more clinically relevant monoclonal antibodies.