Monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies are essential tools for many molecular immunology inv estigations. In particular, when used in combination with techniques such a s epitope mapping and molecular modelling, monoclonal antibodies enable the antigenic profiling and visualisation of macromolecular surfaces. In addit ion, monoclonal antibodies have become key components in a vast array of cl inical laboratory diagnostic tests. Their wide application in detecting and identifying serum analytes, cell markers, and pathogenic agents has largel y arisen through the exquisite specificity of these unique reagents. Furthe rmore, the continuous culture of hybridoma cells that produce these antibod ies offers the potential of an unlimited supply of reagent. In essence, whe n compared with the rather limited supply of polyclonal antibody reagents, the feature of a continuous supply enables the standardisation of both the reagent and the assay technique. Clearly, polyclonal and monoclonal antibod ies have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of generation, cost, a nd overall applications. Ultimately, monoclonal antibodies are only produce d when necessary because their production is time consuming and frustrating , although greatly rewarding (at least most of the time!). This is especial ly apparent when a monoclonal antibody can be applied successfully in a rou tine pathology laboratory or can aid in the clinical diagnosis and treatmen t of patients. In this article, the generation and application of monoclona l antibodies are demystified to enable greater understanding and hopefully formulate novel ideas for clinicians and scientists alike.