Stimulating T Cells Against Cancer With Agonist Immunostimulatory Monoclonal Antibodies

Elimination of Cancer cells through antitumor immunity has been a long-sought after goal since Sir F. Macfarlane Burnet postulated the theory of immune surveillance against Tumors in the 1950s. Finally, the use of immunotherapeutics against established Cancer is becoming a reality in the past 5years. Most notable are the Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) directed against inhibitory T-cell receptors cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 and programmed death-1. The next generation of mAbs targeting T cells is designed to stimulate costimulatory receptors on T cells. Here we review the recent progress on these immunostimulatory Agonist Antibodies against the costimulatory receptors CD137, GITR, OX40, and CD27.