Monoclonal antibody-based therapy for renal cell carcinoma

Despite intensive efforts to develop an effective treatment, once renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has metastasized, treatment options are limited. This tumor is not sensitive to radiotherapy and is resistant to chemotherapy, and treatment with biologic response modifiers (interleukin-2, interferon) leads to low response rates. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) selected for high tumor specificity might provide new treatment possibilities for RCC. This article discusses general issues related to mAb treatment and reviews current knowledge of the effect of mAb G250 treatment in patients with metastatic RCC. This mAb recognizes a target molecule on virtually all clear cell RCCs and may be a valuable and highly selective agent to attack RCC.