[Monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis and therapy of lung cancer]

The discovery of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) by Köhler and Milstein in 1975 has marked a fundamental step accounting for the present development of immuno-oncology. The use of MoAbs in the study of lung carcinoma has allowed to enlarge our knowledge on the biology and natural history of this tumor, on the diagnostic procedures both in vitro and in vivo, on the monitoring of patients as well as on the therapeutic potentialities. A number of MoAbs have been produced, directed either to the small cell lung carcinoma or to the other histotypes which are altogether defined as non-small cell lung carcinoma. Although these reagents are not specific sensu strictiori, their use has been shown to be of partial utility for tumor imaging by immunoscintigraphy and for immunotherapeutic procedures based on the administration of MoAbs conjugated with radioactive isotopes or immunotoxins. Several attempts are presently under way aiming at the production of MoAbs endowed with a more defined specificity and larger potentialities. In this context, a special mention deserve the so-called third-generation MoAbs, anti-idiotype MoAbs, the cocktails of MoAbs, and chimeric antibodies also termed humanized MoAbs.