Potential use of humanized antibodies in the treatment of breast cancer

With the growing knowledge of key cellular pathways in tumor induction and evolution, targeted therapies make up an increasing proportion of new drugs entering clinical testing. In the treatment of breast cancer, humanized antibodies have become a major option. The humanized monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin); Genentech, Inc., CA, USA) for HER2-overexpressing, metastatic breast cancer, represents a successful agent associated with impressive survival benefits when combined with chemotherapy. Based on impressive results, trastuzumab will become a standard in the adjuvant treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. The role of trastuzumab in the neoadjuvant setting is promising, but must be further evaluated in large prospective, randomized trials. However, there is still a large proportion of patients overexpressing HER2 that do not respond to trastuzumab. Regarding this patient cohort, the optimal combination of trastuzumab with other agents needs further evaluation. In breast cancer lacking HER2 amplification, the role of the new antibody pertuzumab remains to be defined. The role of antibodies interfering with angiogenesis, tumor stroma or glycoproteins is of a preliminary nature and warrants further investigation. Here, an overview of humanized antibodies in human breast cancer is provided, with emphasis on the recent advances and future prospects in treating malignant breast cancer.