Antibodies (immunoglobulins) are called Y-form proteins. They take part in the identification and elimination of foreign components (antigens) from the body. Antibody production is carried out by the immune system in response to antigen penetration. Each immunoglobulin is able to recognize and contact a foreign specific element.
Due to the fact that antibodies circulate through the circulatory system, they can access every part of the body. The binding of immunoglobulin to an antigen can prevent the development of processes that contribute to the disease, or lead to the destruction of a foreign element.
The body's immune response to any, even the simplest, foreign component is called polyclonal. In other words, the immune system produces (produces) a lot of immunoglobulins to fight different antigens.
Monoclonal antibodies are clone cells. For each such cell, the target (target) is a specific antigen, for the detection and binding of which a specific immunoglobulin has been developed in the immune system, which is the precursor cell.
In therapy, monoclonal bodies synthesized in the laboratory, and not in the immune system, are used. When they enter the body, the process of activation of other components of the protective system is launched to destroy specific antigens. For example, monoclonal antibodies are introduced into the body to treat cancer.
The first clone cells that were synthesized in a laboratory environment consisted entirely of mouse proteins. This provoked a rather serious problem. The fact is that these "mouse" monoclonal antibodies were perceived by the human immune system as antigens - foreign elements, and therefore developed a reaction against them. This did not simply mean the development of an immune response. The protective system in the body began to destroy monoclonal antibodies even before they could benefit him.
Over time, some parts in the proteins of mouse cells began to be replaced by human protein components, called "chimeric". Due to the increase in the proportion of elements of human immunoglobulins, they (synthesized) are called "humanized monoclonal antibodies".
Preparations containing these components are classified as targeted therapy. In other words, drugs are designed to act directly on cells that provoke the development of pathological processes. This is often a more effective method than traditional therapeutic regimens. In addition, many conventional medications intended for the treatment of, for example, multiple sclerosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other pathologies are toxic and have limitations on the total dosages acceptable for administration to the patient.
Among the most popular medicines for monoclonal antibodies, one should note such agents as MabThera, Rituxan (used for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), Herceptin (used for breast cancer).
Medicine has high hopes for the technology of synthesizing monoclonal antibodies. However, there are some limitations. So, the synthesized immunoglobulins are too large molecules. This prevents them from penetrating deep into the tissue or into the cell. They are not intended for oral (inside) use. In addition, to achieve the desired effect, the concentration of these antibodies should exceed five to ten thousand times the concentration of target antigens. The production of synthesized immunoglobulins is carried out only on cell cultures, which, in turn, makes their production quite expensive.