[Helping antibodies. Targeted antithrombotic and fibrinolytic therapy]

The development of monoclonal antibodies facilitated an enormous progress in modern medicine in the last years. The targeted inhibition of defined molecular structures allows therapeutic concepts, which before were inconceivable. There are numerous antibodies in clinical use within the area of tumour therapy, chronically inflammatory diseases, transplantation, infections and also in cardiovascular medicine. Different antibody formats are used such as IgG molecules, Fab fragments and single chain antibodies. Single chain antibodies represent the smallest functional form of the antibody and are used preferentially as recombinant antibodies. The therapeutic possibilities of antibody technology are extended by fusion to radioactive or therapeutically active substances. This review focuses on the application of antibodies and fusion proteins as antithrombotic and fibrinolytic drugs. The use of antibodies allows the development of inhibitory agents with clearly defined functional properties, as for example for activation-specific GPIIb/IIIa-blockade. In addition antibodies can be used for targeting antithrombotic and fibrinolytic agents to the thrombus, allowing an effective local action with less bleeding complications.