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How Monoclonal Antibodies Have Transformed Breast Cancer Treatment, and Where is it Going Next
Breast cancer treatments are as innovative as they’ve ever been. Targeted therapies using monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have shown exceptional results and are expected to improve even more. Scientists at FUJIFILM Biosciences have dedicated themselves to discovering new solutions to maximize mAb manufacturing and research, providing instrumental products and solutions to some of the most popular breast cancer therapy manufacturers in the world.
But what is the next frontier for this kind of therapy, and why is breast cancer such a good case study on the effectiveness of mAbs? In this blog, we celebrate the life-changing advancements in breast cancer treatments by exploring the latest approaches in research and manufacturing—then we offer solutions that can help developers accelerate their future research, starting with the importance of a partnership that can support therapy production at every stage of development.
A Quick History
By now, you probably already know of the history and impact of mAbs on breast cancer. If you need a refresher, the first mAb, Muromonab-CD3, was approved in 1986 to prevent kidney transplant rejection. Deemed a “magic bullet” due to its ability to target and bind to a specific antigen with minimal effect to healthy cells, over 100 mAbs have been approved for numerous other diseases including Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disorders, and various cancers.1
In the late 90s, a drug called trastuzumab was discovered as a more effective way to treat human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) cancer cells. With approximately 25% of breast cancer cases being HER2+, the success of trastuzumab in combination with other treatments completely shifted the paradigm of breast cancer prognoses.2
Key Combinations: New Treatment Plans for Improved Effectiveness
Even though mAb treatment has seen exceptional results, in recent years, new approaches have been engineered to overcome their limitations and amplify results.3 Two popular advances in this space are the bispecific antibodies (bsAb) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC).
What makes these approaches more promising is their ability to target more than one aspect of the diseased cells, since few diseases are dependent on one target characteristic, researchers have to get creative. Bispecific antibodies engage two different targets, creating a synergistic therapeutic effect, whereas ADCs pair a targeted antibody with cytotoxic payloads. Both have led to better results and can be further combined to create bispecific or even trispecific ADCs.
The positive responses to these types of therapies have built on the success of early trastuzumab therapy—even targeting metastasized HER2+ tumors. One study found that in a review of fifteen patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer who stopped trastuzumab treatment, recurrence was only found in two of them. This illustrates the current effectiveness of mAbs and the promising future of their bi- and conjugated contemporaries, making it clear that this frontier is still worth exploring.
Challenges and Solutions in Antibody Development
There are several advancements that have contributed to the success of antibody development and proliferation, but there are still pathways for improvement that can be explored.
One of the main challenges is the quality of mAbs, which can vary substantially in hybridoma cell lines. To secure a sufficient yield that meets the commercial need for high expression efficiency, scalability, quality, and reproducibility, high-yielding mammalian, specifically Chinese hamster ovary (CHO), cell lines have been developed.4 This is just one example of how working with a knowledgeable supplier can make the difference in success.
A Partnership for Every Approach
The pain points and opportunities when developing mAb-based therapies underscore the value of having a partner that has the capability to support and optimize your workflow—whatever your goals may be.
The FUJIFILM Biosciences suite of products and solutions is designed to optimize ambitions. From ready-to-use cell lines to a custom workflow solution, we are at the forefront of scientific innovation, ready to help you bring therapeutics to more patients.
References:
- Perkins M. A new frontier in monoclonal antibody delivery. Drug Discovery News. July 8, 2024.
- Costa RLB, Czerniecki BJ. Clinical development of immunotherapies for HER2+ breast cancer: a review of HER2-directed monoclonal antibodies and beyond. npj Breast Cancer. 2020; 6(10).
- Shim H. Bispecific Antibodies and Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Cancer Therapy: Technological Considerations. Biomolecules. 2020;10(3):360. Published 2020 Feb 26. doi:10.3390/biom10030360
- Sifniotis V, Cruz E, Eroglu B, Kayser V. Current Advancements in Addressing Key Challenges of Therapeutic Antibody Design, Manufacture, and Formulation. Antibodies (Basel). 2019;8(2):36. Published 2019 Jun 3. doi:10.3390/antib8020036
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