Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approaches
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. Antibody-based therapies have emerged as a transformative approach, offering specificity and the potential to overcome the limitations of tra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1533874/full |
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| author | Sherif A. El-Kafrawy Sherif A. El-Kafrawy Mostafa S. Elkafrawy Esam I. Azhar Esam I. Azhar Anwaar Saeed Ashraf A. Tabll Ashraf A. Tabll |
| author_facet | Sherif A. El-Kafrawy Sherif A. El-Kafrawy Mostafa S. Elkafrawy Esam I. Azhar Esam I. Azhar Anwaar Saeed Ashraf A. Tabll Ashraf A. Tabll |
| author_sort | Sherif A. El-Kafrawy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. Antibody-based therapies have emerged as a transformative approach, offering specificity and the potential to overcome the limitations of traditional treatments. This comprehensive review evaluates the current and emerging applications of antibody therapies in HCC, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), bispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). It explores their mechanisms of action, such as immune modulation, angiogenesis inhibition, and targeted cytotoxicity. Key advancements include the integration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors into clinical practice and the development of bispecific antibodies and ADCs targeting tumor-specific antigens like glypican-3. While these therapies have shown promise in improving patient outcomes, challenges such as tumor heterogeneity, resistance mechanisms, and immune-related adverse events persist. This review highlights recent clinical trial data, identifies areas for future research, and emphasizes the potential of combining antibody therapies with other modalities to enhance efficacy and overcome therapeutic barriers. By addressing these challenges and leveraging advancements in antibody engineering and biomarker discovery, antibody-based therapies hold significant promise for revolutionizing the treatment paradigm for HCC. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c6cb6b89995949f5b7daf2249aaffb16 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c6cb6b89995949f5b7daf2249aaffb162025-08-20T02:36:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-06-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15338741533874Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approachesSherif A. El-Kafrawy0Sherif A. El-Kafrawy1Mostafa S. Elkafrawy2Esam I. Azhar3Esam I. Azhar4Anwaar Saeed5Ashraf A. Tabll6Ashraf A. Tabll7Special Infectious Agents Unit- BioSafety Level 3 (BSL3), King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koam, EgyptSpecial Infectious Agents Unit- BioSafety Level 3 (BSL3), King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesImmunology Department, Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM), Cairo, EgyptMicrobial Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Centre, Giza, EgyptHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. Antibody-based therapies have emerged as a transformative approach, offering specificity and the potential to overcome the limitations of traditional treatments. This comprehensive review evaluates the current and emerging applications of antibody therapies in HCC, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), bispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). It explores their mechanisms of action, such as immune modulation, angiogenesis inhibition, and targeted cytotoxicity. Key advancements include the integration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors into clinical practice and the development of bispecific antibodies and ADCs targeting tumor-specific antigens like glypican-3. While these therapies have shown promise in improving patient outcomes, challenges such as tumor heterogeneity, resistance mechanisms, and immune-related adverse events persist. This review highlights recent clinical trial data, identifies areas for future research, and emphasizes the potential of combining antibody therapies with other modalities to enhance efficacy and overcome therapeutic barriers. By addressing these challenges and leveraging advancements in antibody engineering and biomarker discovery, antibody-based therapies hold significant promise for revolutionizing the treatment paradigm for HCC.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1533874/fullHCCantibody therapymonoclonal antibodiesbispecific antibodiesantibody-drug conjugatesimmune checkpoints inhibitors |
| spellingShingle | Sherif A. El-Kafrawy Sherif A. El-Kafrawy Mostafa S. Elkafrawy Esam I. Azhar Esam I. Azhar Anwaar Saeed Ashraf A. Tabll Ashraf A. Tabll Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approaches Frontiers in Immunology HCC antibody therapy monoclonal antibodies bispecific antibodies antibody-drug conjugates immune checkpoints inhibitors |
| title | Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approaches |
| title_full | Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approaches |
| title_fullStr | Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approaches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approaches |
| title_short | Antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of current and emerging approaches |
| title_sort | antibody treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma a review of current and emerging approaches |
| topic | HCC antibody therapy monoclonal antibodies bispecific antibodies antibody-drug conjugates immune checkpoints inhibitors |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1533874/full |
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