Targeted Apoptosis: Antibodies Linked to RNA Damaging Agents

Generally, the new strategy in cancer drug discovery and development is to define and validate the most promising cancer related molecular targets to which new drugs can be designed. For small molecule drugs, the focus is on interfering with molecular targets that contribute to deregulated cell growth and signaling pathways, predominantly within the cancer cell. Antigens aberrantly expressed on the cancer cell surface also afford possible valid molecular targets. Thus antibodies against tumor related antigens are a class of drugs that fit the new paradigm for cancer drug development and treatment.