Monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies have an increasing role in medicine. They are manufactured by a technique called somatic cell hybridization. This involves the fusion of myeloma cells with spleen cells from a mouse that has been immunized with the desired antigen. The resulting fused cells are termed a hybridoma and act as a 'factory' for producing monoclonal antibodies.


The main limitation to this is that mouse antibodies are immunogenic leading to the formation of human anti-mouse antibodies. This problem is overcome by a process known as humanising

Humanising is a process that decreases the immunogenicity of non-human derived monoclonal antibodies

You've never been tested on this concept

You've not yet rated this concept.

Importance: 65

. One method involves combining the variable region from the mouse body with the constant region from a human antibody.


Clinical examples of monoclonal antibodies:

• infliximab (anti-TNF
  Infliximab is an anti-TNF monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of Crohn's disease
  You've never been tested on this concept
  You've not yet rated this concept.
  Importance: 87
  ): used in rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's
• rituximab (anti-CD20
  Rituximab - monoclonal antibody against CD20
  You've never been tested on this concept
  You've not yet rated this concept.
  Importance: 44
  ): used in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis
• cetuximab (epidermal growth factor receptor antagonist
  Cetuximab - monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor
  You've never been tested on this concept
  You've not yet rated this concept.
  Importance: 42
  ): used in metastatic colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer
• trastuzumab (HER2/neu receptor antagonist): used in metastatic breast cancer
• alemtuzumab (anti-CD52
  Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets CD52 and is used in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
  You've never been tested on this concept
  You've not yet rated this concept.
  Importance: 13
  ): used in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• abciximab (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist
  Abciximab is a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist
  You've never been tested on this concept
  You've not yet rated this concept.
  Importance: 56
  ): prevention of ischaemic events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions
• OKT3 (anti-CD3): used to prevent organ rejection

Monoclonal antibodies are also used for:

• medical imaging when combined with a radioisotope
• identification of cell surface markers in biopsied tissue
• diagnosis of viral infections

+PassMedicine Notes

Monoclonal antibodies have an increasing role in medicine. They are manufactured by a technique called somatic cell hybridization. This involves the fusion of myeloma cells with spleen cells from a mouse that has been immunized with the desired antigen. The resulting fused cells are termed a hybridoma and act as a 'factory' for producing monoclonal antibodies.

The main limitation to this is that mouse antibodies are immunogenic leading to the formation of human anti-mouse antibodies. This problem is overcome by a process known as humanising. One method involves combining the variable region from the mouse body with the constant region from a human antibody.

Clinical examples of monoclonal antibodies:

• infliximab (anti-TNF): used in rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's
• rituximab (anti-CD20): used in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis
• cetuximab (epidermal growth factor receptor antagonist): used in metastatic colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer
• trastuzumab (HER2/neu receptor antagonist): used in metastatic breast cancer
• alemtuzumab (anti-CD52): used in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• abciximab (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist): prevention of ischaemic events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions
• OKT3 (anti-CD3): used to prevent organ rejection

Monoclonal antibodies are also used for:

• medical imaging when combined with a radioisotope
• identification of cell surface markers in biopsied tissue
• diagnosis of viral infections