How can antibodies be used in targeted cancer therapy?

Antibodies can also be designed to become targeted therapies by recruiting them to do what they do best: zero in on a specific protein in or on a cell’s surface and mount an attack. If a cancer protein unique to a type of cancer is identified, an antibody can be designed to attack it. Then an exact copy or clone of that antibody can be engineered in a lab to match it (hence the name monoclonal antibody).

Some monoclonal antibodies targets carry a toxic payload along for the ride - a chemical or radioactive agent to increase the power of the attack. This is sometimes called immunotherapy, or radiotherapy if a radioactive agent is attached.

Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma received the first monoclonal antibody developed to treat cancer and targets are either available or in development for almost all types of cancer.