Cationization of monoclonal antibodies: another step towards the "magic bullet"?

Monoclonal antibodies have represented since the beginning a potent means to identify specific antigen. The engineering of monoclonal antibodies has created a new generation of pharmaceuticals with the desired pharmacokinetics and biodistribution properties. Optimum tumor targeting can be achieved using engineering constructs that provide high antigen affinity and specificity, effective tumor penetration with acceptable doses to normal tissue. Cationization is a technique to modify antibodies in such a way as to develop improved radiopharmaceuticals. A brief review of how monoclonal antibodies can be modified to improve their applicability for target therapies and diagnosis is here presented.