TITLE:
New era in cancer immunotherapy: Twenty years to the discovery of monoclonal antibodies harnessing the immune system to eradicate tumors
AUTHORS:
Britta Hardy, Annat Raiter
KEYWORDS:
Cancer Immunotherapy; Monoclonal Antibodies; Anergy; T Cell Receptors
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.4 No.4A,
April
29,
2013
ABSTRACT: The better understanding of the mechanism in which
the immune system responds to the developing cancer provided the outcome in a
new era in cancer immunotherapy. The tumor suppressive effect on the immune
system is caused by negative T cell receptor signaling that abrogate immunity
against the cancer cells. Novel monoclonal antibodies that target co-inhibitory
receptors on T cells block the tumor induced inhibition of the immune system
and enable the immune system to eradicate the tumors. The development of
such antibodies started twenty years ago by the preparation of a monoclonal
antibody termed BAT. A single administration of the antibody to tumor bearing
mice resulted in striking anti tumor activity that was mediated by the
lymphocytes. These studies provided a basis for the new era of cancer immunotherapy. The present review summarizes twenty
years to the discovery of monoclonal antibodies harnessing the immune system
to eradicate tumors.