Cantuzumab is a
monoclonal antibody
A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell Lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell.
Monoclonal antibodies ...
designed for the treatment of cancers. Also known as
huC242 it binds the
CanAg antigen.
It is typically linked to one of several cytotoxic agents, yielding
antibody-drug conjugate
Antibody-drug conjugates or ADCs are a class of biopharmaceutical drugs designed as a targeted therapy for treating cancer. Unlike chemotherapy, ADCs are intended to target and kill tumor cells while sparing healthy cells. As of 2019, some 56 phar ...
s :
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Cantuzumab mertansine
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Cantuzumab ravtansine
huC242 targets CanAg
"HuC242 binds to the extracellular domain of the tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen known as CanAg (a novel glycoform of
MUC1
Mucin short variant S1, also called polymorphic epithelial mucin (PEM) or epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), is a mucin encoded by the ''MUC1'' gene in humans. Mucin short variant S1 is a glycoprotein with extensive O-linked glycosylation of its e ...
). CanAg is strongly expressed in most pancreatic, biliary, and colorectal cancers. It is also expressed in a substantial proportion of gastric cancers (55%), uterine cancers (45%), non-small cell lung cancers (40%), and bladder cancers (40%)."
[A Phase I Study of Cantuzumab Mertansine Administered as a Single Intravenous Infusion Once Weekly in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors. Helft et al. 2004]
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References
Monoclonal antibodies
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