MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES IN CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS

In 1975 Koehler and Milstein described a method for making cell lines that secrete a single species of antibody of desired specificity (mono clonal antibody) (1). Hybridoma technology has permitted the productio n of a wide range of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for use in different fields of basic science and clinical applications. Since 1980 the most promising feature of mAb has been considered their potential for use as immunotherapeutic agents. Monoclonal antibodies have found clinical applications in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer, in the modulatio n of the immune response, in autoimmunity and in transplantation (2-4) . However, the promise of hybridoma technology still remains somewhat unfulfilled and scientists and clinicians have not yet been able to fu lly exploit the potential versatility of mAb. There are several reason s that could contribute to the low therapeutic efficacy observed when mAb are used in vivo. First, unmodified rodent mAb elicit a human anti -mouse antibody immune response (HAMA). Moreover, the xenogenic nature of the antibody may result in an immune response which limits the bio availability and consequently, the efficacy of the antibody. Therefore it is a human (or nearly human) Ig which is needed for clinical appli cations, and if possible, one which displays high specificity and affi nity for the target. Here it will be reviewed the most recent approach es used to the production of antibodies for clinical applications.