Antibody therapy in the clinical and preclinical treatment of gastrointestinal cancer

摘要

The clinical and preclinical applications of new antitumor agents for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer is a field undergoing continuous progress. The antibody derived apoptosis of tumor cells represents an ideal target in cancer therapy. However, the actual effectiveness of and tolerance to antibodies does not yet allow for a convincing clinical application. Modifications in the production of antibodies, such as humanisation, chimerisation or the establishment of totally human antibodies, provide hope for higher selectivity and less side effects in the future. Through the development of targeted therapy with antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as well as the combination with new cytotoxic agents, the median overall survival in colorectal cancer patients has been significantly improved over the next few years. In particular, the survival of patients with advanced colorectal cancer could be increased by more than 2 years, almost doubling that found with the classical 5-FU regimen. Thus, the use of chemotherapy and antibodies in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer means that this has become not only more effective, particularly for patients with metastases, but also much more complex. Bevacizumab and cetuximab are excellent examples for a selectively targeted therapy in first and second-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.