Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies for Cancer: The Past, Present, and Future

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for cancer therapy can be broadly divided into three classes. First are those that target biological features expressed by the tumor cell itself, second are those that target factors produced by the tumor cell or as a host response to the tumor, and third are those that target the immune regulatory networks responsible for inhibiting antitumor immune responses. Of these, tumor-specific therapeutic mAbs are particularly unique because they partially and passively reconstitute the humoral arm of the tumor antigen-specific immune response, as well as provide critical support in establishing the antigen-specific adaptive immune response through cross-priming. This review focuses on these categories and will discuss ongoing clinical trials.