Tumor-specific apoptosis induced by the human monoclonal antibody SC-1: a new therapeutical approach for stomach cancer.

Stomach cancer is one of the most frequently occurring cancers worldwide, with a very poor prognosis, even after complete gastrectomy. We describe here an alternative therapeutical approach using a human monoclonal antibody (SC-1), which was isolated from a patient with diffuse-type gastric adenocarcinoma. We demonstrate that the antibody significantly reduces stomach cancer growth in vivo, by inducing tumor-specific apoptosis and that the antibody, even delivered in high doses, shows no toxic crossreactivity to other organs or tissues. The data presented here show that tumor-specific apoptosis can be induced and they give rise to the hope that human monoclonal antibodies with biological activity might present a completely new type of adjuvant cancer therapy.