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Review
. 2015 Dec 26;5(1):1.
doi: 10.3390/antib5010001.

Taking up Cancer Immunotherapy Challenges: Bispecific Antibodies, the Path Forward?

Joanie Del Bano  1   2   3   4 , Patrick Chames  5   6   7   8 , Daniel Baty  9   10   11   12 , Brigitte Kerfelec  13   14   15   16
Affiliations
Review

Taking up Cancer Immunotherapy Challenges: Bispecific Antibodies, the Path Forward?

Joanie Del Bano et al. Antibodies (Basel). .

Abstract

As evidenced by the recent approvals of Removab (EU, Trion Pharma) in 2009 and of Blincyto (US, Amgen) in 2014, the high potential of bispecific antibodies in the field of immuno-oncology is eliciting a renewed interest from pharmaceutical companies. Supported by rapid advances in antibody engineering and the development of several technological platforms such as Triomab or bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs), the "bispecifics" market has increased significantly over the past decade and may occupy a pivotal space in the future. Over 30 bispecific molecules are currently in different stages of clinical trials and more than 70 in preclinical phase. This review focuses on the clinical potential of bispecific antibodies as immune effector cell engagers in the onco-immunotherapy field. We summarize current strategies targeting various immune cells and their clinical interests. Furthermore, perspectives of bispecific antibodies in future clinical developments are addressed.

Keywords: NK cells; T-cells; bispecific antibody; cancer immunotherapy; immune effector cells; immuno-checkpoint.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Bispecific antibodies targeting immune cells, approved or in clinical trials. A: Approved; 1, 2, 3: Phases of clinical trials.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Immune effector cells targeted by bispecific antibodies. The mode of action of bispecific antibodies is related to the type of recruited immune cells: antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) are triggered by CD16A engagement on macrophages, NK cells or γδ T-cells; T-cell cytotoxicity is mediated by TCR/CD3 or Vγ9Vδ2 engagement or by blockade of immuno-checkpoints.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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