Future of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of hematologic malignancies.

BACKGROUND The approval of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) as antibody-targeted therapy in the management of patients with hematologic malignancies has led to new treatment options for this group of patients. The ability to target antibodies to novel functional receptors can increase their therapeutic efficacy. METHODS The authors reviewed improvements in MAb design to enhance their effectiveness over the existing therapeutic MAb currently approved for treating hematologic malignancies. RESULTS Three classes of therapeutic MAbs showing promise in human clinical trials for treatment of hematologic malignancies include unconjugated MAb, drug conjugates in which the antibody preferentially delivers a potent cytotoxic drug to the tumor, and radioactive immunotherapy in which the antibody delivers a sterilizing dose of radiation to the tumor. CONCLUSIONS A better appreciation of how MAbs are metabolized in the body and localized to tumors is resulting in the development of new antibody constructs with improved biodistribution profiles.