cancer
Immunotherapy for Cancer
Monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibody therapy involves the use of antibodies produced in a laboratory to target specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells. There are many such antibodies available, and others are currently being studied.Trastuzumabis one such antibody, which attacks the HER-2/neu receptor present on the surface of cancer cells in 25% of women with breast cancer.Trastuzumabenhances the effect of chemotherapy drugs. Rituximabis highly effective in treating lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.Rituximablinked to a radioactive isotope can be used to deliver radiation directly to lymphoma cells. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin, a combined antibody and drug, is effective in some people with acute myeloid leukemia. Several monoclonal antibodies modify the function of Defenses Against Cancer , which help to control the immune system, and in so doing stimulate the body's natural anticancer immunity. Drugs called checkpoint inhibitors may block checkpoints, which are proteins that help turn the immune response off and on. Some cancers activate these checkpoints and turn off the immune system's ability to attack the cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors such as CTLA-4 ( 