The application of monoclonal antibodies in cancer diagnosis

Abstract

Cancer becomes the second leading cause of death in the world. An effective strategy for early diagnosis of the disease is key to reduce the mortality and morbidity. Development of effective monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based assays or diagnostic imaging techniques for detection of antigens and small molecules that are released from cancerous cells will enhance modern diagnostic medicine of cancer significantly. Although mAb technology is still under development, recent advances in preparation of recombinant antigen and antibody engineering techniques have dramatically enhanced the applications of this technology in cancer diagnosis. Compared with other methods, mAb-based assays may provide spatial, temporal, accurate and quantitative measurement for diagnosis of the disease. This review summarizes the progress of the mAb-based assays in the field of molecular diagnosis of cancer.

Keywords::

• biomarker
• cancer
• molecular diagnosis
• monoclonal antibody fragment
• phage display

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was supported by a grant of Chinese National Technology R&D Program for the 11th five-year plan (2009BAK61B04) and the Dobleman Head and Neck Cancer Foundation in the USA. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Quantitative proteomics and biomarker discovery in human cancer.

• The promise of biomarkers in cancer screening and detection.

• Novel antibody vectors for imaging.

• Monoclonal antibodies: diagnostic uses.

• Protein-based tumor imaging probes.

• Monoclonal antibody arrays as an emerging tool for discovery of cancer biomarkers.

• Antibody arrays: technical considerations and clinical applications in cancer.

• A monoclonal antibody Fabs microarray platform and its clinical applications.