The Use of Agonistic Anti-CD40 Therapy in Treatments for Cancer

Agonistic anti-CD40 antibody is a potent stimulator of anti-tumor immune responses due to its action on both immune and tumor cells. It has the ability to "precondition" dendritic cells, allowing them to prime effective cytotoxic T-cell responses. Thus, anti-CD40 antibody provides an ideal therapy for combination with traditional cancer treatments (i.e., chemotherapy, surgery) in order to elicit immune-mediated anti-tumor effects. This review summarizes the mechanisms of action of agonistic anti-CD40, the use of mouse models to investigate its effects and combinations with other therapies in vivo, and current clinical trials combining humanized anti-CD40 antibody with chemotherapy and/or other immunotherapies.