Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0079731 (B-cell lymphoma)
 16,671 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Antibodies have for many decades been viewed as ideal molecules for cancer therapy. Although promising from the start, it has taken much of more than two decades to reach the level of clinical application. Genetic engineering of antibodies; that is novel technologies for chimeric or humanizing monoclonal antibodies, has greatly advanced their utility in molecular targeting therapies, and in the past four years some therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, such as Rituximab for B-cell lymphoma and Trastuzumab for metastatic breast cancer, have provided sufficient efficacy and safety to support regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They were subsequently approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2001. Many molecular biological and immunological studies have revealed the targeting properties of the host immune system and the biological mechanism of cancer cells for a more specific anticancer effect. Many clinical trials of monoclonal antibodies as a single agent, or in combination protocol with current standard chemotherapy or immunoconjugates have shown promise in the treatment of specific diseases. Furthermore, novel antibody designs and improved understanding of the mode of action of current antibodies lend great hope to the future of this therapeutic approach. The accumulating results from many basic, clinical and translational studies may lead to more individualized therapeutic strategies using these agent directed at specific genetic and immunologic targets.
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PMID:[Monoclonal antibody for cancer treatment]. 1197 31

Engineering antibodies with reduced immunogenicity and enhanced effector functions, and selecting antigen targets with the appropriate specificity, density, and/or functionality, have contributed to the recent clinical successes in using unconjugated "naked" antibody therapies of B-cell lymphoma (rituximab) and breast carcinoma (Herceptin). The non-overlapping toxicities of naked antibodies and chemotherapy, together with their potential synergy, which is based on unique and complementary mechanisms of action, have contributed to the creation of new standards of care in cancer therapy and management. Clinical trial results supporting these concepts are presented. Furthermore, the exquisite specificity of antibodies renders them ideal vehicles for selective delivery of toxic payloads such as drugs or radionuclides. Although successful in therapy of hematological cancers (Zevalin, Mylotarg), the broader application of these technologies to carcinomas still remains to be proven in clinical testing. Engineering of antibody constructs with optimal blood clearance and tumor-targeting kinetics, and selecting the radionuclide that may deliver sufficient radiation energy to kill the more radio-resistant carcinomas, are discussed. With the advent of genomics and proteomics, new membrane-associated tumor antigens are being discovered and will provide novel targets for future antibody therapy of cancer.
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PMID:Antibody therapy of non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma. 1270 Sep 43