Human anti-idiotype antibodies in cancer patients: Is the modulation of the immune response beneficial for the patient?

Abstract

Inoculation of human subjects with mouse monoclonal antibody results in the production of anti-idiotype antibody that reacts with the binding site of the monoclonal antibody. This reaction is hapten-inhibited, suggesting that an internal image of the antigen is produced by the anti-idiotype response. The anti-idiotype antibody isolated from sera of three patients showed significant crossreactivity. Patients who developed the anti-idiotype antibody improved clinically and had long remission from their disease. The possible presence of the internal image of cancer antigen on the human immunoglobulin molecule may change the conditions under which the immune system reacts to the tumor antigen and may open new approaches to the control of tumor growth.