Antibodies and peptides in cancer therapy.

Antibodies and peptides play a variety of roles in cancer therapy: monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and peptides are directly used in anticancer therapy and also as targeting moieties. More than 10 mAbs, either unconjugated or in immunoconjugate forms have been approved for use in oncology. Various peptides, tumor necrosis factors (TNFs), and cell surface-targeted peptides have been identified using phage-display libraries. In combination with standard chemotherapeutic agents, mAbs and peptides can significantly increase the toxicity of anticancer drugs to tumors and reduce their adverse side effects on normal tissues. The present review summarizes some major applications of antibodies and peptides in cancer therapy.