Antibodies to Cancer Antigens

Many human cancers express cell surface molecule that are specific to the cancer cell, i.e. they are not expressed or expressed in greatly reduced quantity by normal human somatic cells. The role of these antigens in cancerogenesis and cancer progression is often poorly understood, however, indepently of their biological functions these cancer antigens are attractive antibody targets for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, because i) these antibodies may enable early detection of the tumor, ii) in many cases antibody binding to tumor cells leads to destruction of these cells through a process known as antigen-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and iii) the antibody can be conjugated to a "payload" such as a toxin or a radionucleid which is targeted to the cancer cell by the antibody and thus kills the cancer cell but spares normal cells. Antibody-based cancer therapy has been pioneered by breakthrough antibody medicines such as Herceptin™, Rituxan™, and Bexxar™, all of which were approved only recently after impressive therapeutic benefits were shown in clinical trials.

In order to generate antibodies to cancer antigens, animals are immunized with cancer cells bearing the targeted antigen or, when technically feasible, with purified cancer antigen alone. Monoclonal antibodies arising from the immunization are then screened for differential binding to cancer cells and normal control tissue and tested for ADCC-mediated cell killing in standard proliferation assays.

Antibody Solutions
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