Abstract
Drug delivery system using monoclonal antibody as a carrier of anticancer agents were reviewed. The conjugates composed of antibody and anticancer agents were classified into chemoimmunoconjugate, radioimmunocojugate and immunotoxin, Experimental studies of these three types of immunoconjugates were overviewed. Selected clinical studies using immunoconjugates were introduced. And side effects, immune responses and limited clinical effects were presented. Human antimouse antibody and nonspecific uptake of immunoconjugates by normal tissues such as liver are the most important problem to resolve. Chimeric antibody and more refined immunoconjugates were doveloped for further clinical trials. Our clinical trial was carried out against colorectal carcinoma using immunoconjugate(A7-NCS) composed of anti-colorectal carcinoma monoclonal antibody A7 and anticancer drug neocarcinostatin. Objective responses were observed in 4 of 15 metastatic liver tumor, although the long time survival could not be obtained. Finally we emphasized that many problems, most of them had been evident during clinical trials, should be evercome by the cooperations of scientists in the field of immunology, biotechnology, pharmacology and clinicians.
