Recent Advances Relating to the Clinical Application of Naked Monoclonal Antibodies in Solid Tumors

This review focuses on the recent advances in clinical data regarding antibody-based therapy in the management of solid tumors. We also discuss perspectives on antibody-based therapy in the future. Thorough understanding of the complex interactions between components of the immunological response has led to interest in the concept of immune-mediated therapy for solid tumors. Over the last few years, several humanized and chimeric monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have been employed in treating solid tumors, including breast, colorectal, lung, head and neck, and gynecologic cancers. Trastuzumab, bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab are MAbs that are most widely used in clinical practice with acceptable rates of adverse events. Combination of MAbs with small-molecule inhibitors of the same pathway could potentially increase the efficacy and specificity of antibody-based treatment. Immune-mediated effects may be further exploited with the use of bivalent molecules. (C) 2009 The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, www.feinsteininstitute.org