From the Guest Editor: Monoclonal antibodies have emerged as versatile and useful cancer therapeutics.

摘要

Monoclonal antibodies, which provided some of the earliest demonstrations of effective targeted therapy, have emerged as versatile and useful cancer therapeutics. The first antibodies were polyclonal preparations from various species, nearly all of these were ill-suited as cancer-directed Pharmaceuticals, and predated hybridoma technology, which defined the second generation. Hybridoma technology enabled the production of mouse monoclonal antibodies, which had some promising clinical results, but these encouraging outcomes were outweighed by failures that nearly destroyed this nascent field. The third and current generation, now winding down, has been characterized by the development, testing, and the use of antibodies with essentially human properties and broader clinical applicability. In this theme issue of The Cancer Journal: The Journal of Principles and Practice of Oncology, a distinguished group of authors provides a broad and contemporary overview of the status of the field, replete with insights that point to the future of antibodv-tareeted cancer therapeutics.