Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies as Immunomodulators and Anti-Cancer Agents: Development, Evidence of Efficacy, Mechanisms of Actions, Adverse Effects

Immunotherapy has been a long wish among immunologists. In the late 19th century, the first proof of immunotherapy was probably the successful treatment of diphtheria by Emil von Behring, using serum (Behring and Kitasato 1890). In 1952, Ogden Bruton showed that patients devoid of immunoglobulins (X-linked agammaglobulinemia) can successfully be treated with plasma containing polyclonal antibodies (Bruton et al. 1952). In 1981, Paul Imbach and colleagues demonstrated that polyclonal antibody preparations can be used to treat immune-mediated disease (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)) (Imbach et al. 1981).