Antibodies targeting Cancer stem cells, A novel pattern in Immunotherapy

Abstract

Antibody targeting of cancer is showing clinical and commercial success after deep research and development over the last 3 decades. They have the great potential to deliver long-term cures but a shift in thinking towards a cancer stem cell (CSC) model for tumour development is certain to have an impact on how antibodies are selected and developed, the targets they bind to and the drugs used in combination with them. CSCs have been identified from many human tumours and share many of the characteristics of normal stem cells such as the ability to renew and metabolically or physically protect themselves from xenobiotic and DNA damage. Targeting CSCs could be a strategy to improve the outcome of cancer therapy. Monoclonal antibodies are clinically and commercially established which makes them great for therapeutic effect.The aim of this review is to examine the biology of cancer stem cells, consider the markers defining them and their survival, and at the same time describe the new antibody-focused strategies emerging to target them for more effective treatment of cancer.