MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

Immune system defends the body against foreign substances. It is subdivided into two

categories: innate immune system and adaptive immune system. Innate immune system is

characterized by the physical barriers protecting the body against entry of pathogens. These

include the skin and other bodily fluids such as mucus. However, if under circumstances the

innate immune system fails, the adaptive immune system is the next line of defense. The

adaptive immune system mainly consists of lymphocytes and antibodies. Lymphocytes are

continuously produced by progenitor cells found in the bone marrow. Consequently, the

lymphocytes would produce antibodies.

Antibodies or immunoglobulins are surface cell receptors that bind into invader antigens.

The antibody would trigger the process for the destruction of the bonded antigen. However on

some cases the immune system doesn’t properly recognize normal antigens and mistakes it for a

foreign antigen and attacking it. Antibodies triggering destruction of healthy cells are main cause

of many auto-immune diseases. In addition many conventional drugs eliminate foreign

substances together with a few healthy cells.

Hence innovation of monoclonal antibodies paved way for many medical treatments.

Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies produced by a single ancestral cell or hybridoma

that acts as a basis of production of antibodies through the process of cell division.