Pharmaceutical perspectives of cancer therapeutics: Current therapeutic uses of monoclonal antibodies

Few cancer therapies have attracted the level of interest given to monoclonal antibodies. These drugs, first approved for cancer treatment in the late 1990s, provide unprecedented target specificity. In so doing, they have begun to fulfill the concept put forth by Paul Ehrlich over 100 years earlier-a magic bullet that kills cancer, but does not harm normal tissues [1]. The production of monoclonal antibodies has captured the public's awe and appreciation. The hybridoma technique, which entails the fusion of mouse and human cells into antibody factories, exemplifies the clinical benefits of biologic research. Perhaps most importantly, monoclonal antibodies offer the promise of effective cancer treatment, without the toxicities associated with conventional chemotherapy.