IgE-based immunotherapy of cancer: challenges and chances

Passive immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies is an indispensable cornerstone of clinical oncology. Notably, all FDA-approved antibodies comprise the IgG class, although numerous research articles proposed monoclonal antibodies of the IgM, IgG, IgA and IgE classes directed specifically against tumor-associated antigens. In particular, for the IgE isotype class, several recent studies could demonstrate high tumoricidic efficacy. Therefore, this review specifically highlights the latest developments toward IgE-based immunotherapy of cancer. Possible mechanisms and safety aspects of IgE-mediated tumor cell death are discussed with special focus on the attracted immune cells. An outlook is given on how especially comparative oncology could contribute to further developments. Humans and dogs have a highly comparable IgE biology, suggesting that translational AllergoOncology studies in patients with canine cancer could have predictive value for the potential of IgE-based anticancer immunotherapy in human clinical oncology.