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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
In Vivo Immunofluorescence Localization for Assessment of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibody Biodistribution in Cancer Research
Published on: September 16, 2019
Recombinant antibodies for cancer therapy
1Recombinant Antibody Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK. m.deonarain@imperial.ac.uk
Background:
Recombinant antibodies have evolved into successful therapeutics with 10 approved for cancer and more in the pipeline. Four of the top ten cancer therapy drugs are recombinant antibodies.
Objectives:
To survey the current state-of-the-art highlighting the reasons for this success and looking ahead to the next generation of antibody therapy.
Methods:
An analysis was carried out to identify preclinical and clinical examples and the underlying concepts and mechanisms that have shown how to design better therapies.
Results/Conclusions:
Greater understanding of the molecular basis of cancer has led to improved antibodies and a greater selection of targets. Fine tuning of successful antibodies through modification of glycosylation, affinity, size and other parameters are paying dividends. Fc-engineering is likely to be predominant in the near future but conjugates, fragments and fusion proteins will continue to be developed and find their place in the arsenal of antibody therapeutics.
Insights
Recombinant antibodies are increasingly successful cancer therapies, with ongoing advancements in antibody engineering driving the next generation of treatments. Understanding molecular targets and refining antibody properties are key to their efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Oncology
- Immunotherapy
Background:
- Recombinant antibodies represent a significant advancement in cancer therapeutics, with ten currently approved and more in development.
- Four of the top ten cancer therapies are based on recombinant antibody technology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current status of antibody therapeutics in oncology.
- To identify factors contributing to the success of antibody therapies.
- To explore future directions in antibody therapy development.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of preclinical and clinical examples of antibody therapeutics.
- Identification of underlying concepts and mechanisms for improved therapy design.
Main Results:
- Enhanced understanding of cancer's molecular basis has led to improved antibody design and target selection.
- Optimization of antibody characteristics such as glycosylation, affinity, and size enhances therapeutic outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Fc-engineering is poised to be a dominant strategy in future antibody therapeutics.
- Antibody conjugates, fragments, and fusion proteins will continue to be developed and utilized.
- Continued research into antibody engineering promises further advancements in cancer treatment.
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