An expanding panel of
monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically target malignant cells or intercept trophic factors delivered by the
tumor stroma is now available for
cancer therapy. These mAbs can exert direct antiproliferative/cytotoxic effects as they inhibit pro-survival signal transduction cascades or activate lethal receptors at the plasma membrane of
cancer cells, they can opsonize neoplastic cells to initiate a
tumor-targeting immune response, or they can be harnessed to specifically deliver toxins or
radionuclides to transformed cells. As an indication of the success of this immunotherapeutic paradigm, international regulatory agencies approve new
tumor-targeting mAbs for use in
cancer patients every year. Moreover, the list of indications for previously licensed molecules is frequently expanded to other neoplastic disorders as the results of large, randomized clinical trials become available. Here, we discuss recent advances in the preclinical and clinical development of
tumor-targeting mAbs for oncological indications.