Elsevier

Seminars in Oncology

Volume 41, Issue 5, October 2014, Pages 653-660
Seminars in Oncology

Tumor-Antigen–Binding Bispecific Antibodies for Cancer Treatment

https://doi.org/10.1053/j.seminoncol.2014.08.004Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Bi- and multispecific antibody derivatives (bsAbs) can be considered as the next generation of targeted biologics for cancer therapy. The general concept of bsAbs is a physical connection of recombinant antibody-derived entities with at least two binding specificities. This generates bsAbs that bind at least two antigens or epitopes, thus altering their binding functionalities and specificities in comparison to “normal” antibodies. Most bsAbs are produced as recombinant proteins, either as large IgG-like proteins that contain Fc regions, or as smaller entities with multiple antigen-binding regions but without Fc. Application of bsAbs in experimental cancer therapy currently includes molecules that bind different cell surface proteins to achieve more complete blockage of proliferative or angiogenesis-associated pathways. This approach of blocking more than one pathway component, or to simultaneously hit complementing pathways, also may limit potential escape mechanisms of cancer cells. BsAbs also are applied in the clinic as vehicles to deliver immune effector cells and/or cytokines to tumors.

Cited by (0)

Conflicts of interest: U.H.W. and U.B. are employed by Roche; Roche has an interest in developing bispecific antibodies for cancer therapy.