Abstract
Antibody-based therapeutics are coming of age. This enthusiasm has stemmed from advances in recombinant technology allowing for the production of chimeric and humarinized antibodies. Recent progress and further application on clinical use of therapeutic antibodies for malignancy were reviewed. The Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved two of these antibodies, trastuzmab and rituximab in 2001. Trazttizumab has been approved for HER 2-positive metastatic breast cancer and rituximab for relapsed or refractory CD 20-positive indolent or follicular lymphoma. Safety profile of these unconjugated antibodies are generally comfortable, mainly with first-infusion-related symptoms. But tumor-lysis syndrome for rituximab and cardiotoxicity for trastuzmab should be carefully monitored. A chemoimmunoconjugate containing an and-CD 33 antibody and chaliclieamicin has also been approved for relapsed elderly patients with CD 33-positive acute myeloid leukemia in USA, and is now being developed in Japan. Radioimmunoconjugates directed CD 20 demonstrate significant clinical activity in Western countries. For one of these drugs, 90Y-ibritumoxnab, the clinical trial is planned to be conducted in Japan also. Novel effective monoclonal antibody-based therapies for malignancy might change “the state of the art” in the treatment. The optimal sequence or combination of antibody-based therapy with chemotherapy awaits defnition in clinical trials.
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