Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system designed to bind to specific factors and stimulate the immune system. Each antibody molecule contains a variable region--a part of the antibody that targets that antibody to one specific chemical, called an antigen. Advances in biotechnology have allowed for the use of monoclonal antibodies to help fight cancer--a monoclonal antibody binds to a cancer cell, then targets that cell for destruction by the immune system. Monoclonal antibodies offer a number of advantages over other forms of cancer therapy.
Stability in the Body
One advantage of monoclonal antibody therapy as a cancer treatment is the stability of monoclonal antibodies within the body. All drugs have a half-life in the body--a measure of how quickly the drug becomes metabolized and inactive after administration. Monoclonal antibodies typically remain stable in the blood and continue to circulate in the blood long after drug administration, according to a review published in Nature Reviews in 2007. As a result, the monoclonal antibody continues to target cancer cells throughout the body, allowing for longer-term cancer killing than traditional chemotherapy drugs. Although previous use of monoclonal antibody drugs posed a risk of a harmful immune responses, advances in antibody technology have allowed for the development of antibodies that can safely remain in the body for longer periods of time.
Systemic Cancer Treatment
Monoclonal antibody therapy also offers the advantage of systemic cancer treatment. Some cancer therapies, such as cancer surgery or radiation therapy, only target cancer cells within one part of the body. These treatments may miss cancer cells that have migrated away from the initial tumor, allowing the possibility of cancer recurrence. In contrast, monoclonal antibodies circulate in the bloodstream, so they can target cancer cells throughout the body and target cancer growth in multiple tissues simultaneously. As a result, monoclonal antibodies may present an effective treatment option for blood-related cancers, since cancer cells are found throughout the body. Additionally, monoclonal antibody therapy can help treat advanced metastatic cancer, in which cancer cells have migrated away from the initial tumor to form growths in distant organs.
Targeted Therapy
Many cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy, target any rapidly proliferating cell in the body. As a result, patients receiving chemotherapy experience a number of harmful side effects due to damage to healthy cells, such a low blood cell counts and mouth sores. Monoclonal antibodies offer a targeted therapy treatment--they selectively target and kill cancer cells, according to the National Cancer Institute. Monoclonal antibodies bind to specific factors found on cancer cells, but not normal cells, and target the caner cell for destruction without harming healthy tissue. As a result, patients receiving monoclonal antibody cancer therapy may suffer from fewer side effects than patients receiving chemotherapy.
