Role of antibodies in diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer: Basic approach and clinical status

Ovarian cancer is the second most leading gynecological cancer after endometrial cancer in women. Chemotherapy and cyto-reductive surgery are currently the mainstays for treatment of ovarian cancer in early stages. However, the overall 5years of survival rate in advanced stage is just 20-30%. The main reasons behind therapeutic failures and a low survival rate are challenges in early diagnosis, frequent recurrence, chemo-resistance development and lack of targeting. Antibodies have evolved as a rationale therapeutic approach to overcome these hurdles and to engender significant clinical applications. Detection of cancer associated antibodies and radiolabeled antibody conjugates are forming the basis for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Besides this, antibodies when given alone act as an anti-angiogenic agent or utilize the protective role of immune system against ovarian cancer. This high specificity and selectivity of action is also accompanied by development of tumor antigen-specific memory T cells, which can prevent cancer recurrence. In addition, when given in combination with chemotherapy, antibodies have turned out to sensitize chemo-resistant tumors. Antibodies are also playing cardinal role in design of highly potent class of targeted therapies, such as antibody-drug conjugates and clinically viable tumor targeted drug nanocarriers. This article aims to explore the fundamentals in development of antibody based therapeutics and multitude ways of clinical applications in diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. Focus is given on the recent advances made in preclinical and clinical settings with an overview to unmet challenges so as to develop better immunotherapeutics in future.