IgE-based Immunotherapy of Cancer -A Comparative Oncology Approach

Antibody-based immunotherapies are important therapy options in human oncology. Although human humoral specific immunity is constituted of five different immunoglobulin classes, currently only IgG-based immunotherapies have proceeded to clinical application. This review, however, discusses the benefits and difficulties of IgE-based immunotherapy of cancer, with special emphasis on how to translate promising preclinical results into clinical studies. Pursuing the “Comparative Oncology” approach, novel drug candidates are investigated in clinical trials with veterinary cancer patients, most often dogs. By this strategy drug development could be speeded up, animal experiments could be reduced and novel therapy options could be introduced benefitting humans as well as man’s best friend.