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Clinical benefits of monoclonal antibodies


Clinical benefits of monoclonal antibodies

Laboratory-generated antibodies show some promise in treating...

Monoclonal antibodies are fusion proteins developed for therapeutic use in patients with a range of serious conditions, including Ebola, cancer and COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies are made in a laboratory setting just like any other treatment or drug. However, they work to fight disease by targeting and neutralizing disease-causing antigens, much like the natural antibodies inside the human immune system.

Monoclonal antibodies versus natural antibodies

The power of monoclonal antibodies lies in how they target a specific and essential component of the infection process. Like naturally occurring antibodies produced in the human immune system, precisely specified monoclonal antibodies can effectively target specific antigens and neutralize them. Monoclonal antibodies can be developed by exposing white blood cells to a targeted virus. The resulting antibodies can then be mass-produced through cloning. Monoclonal antibody therapy is usually administered intravenously and can be performed in the clinical setting or as an outpatient procedure.

Monoclonal antibodies can be thought of as a manufactured alternative to (or complement to) naturally occurring antibodies and designed to closely mimic their natural counterparts . In conventional therapeutic applications, monoclonal antibodies are given to patients to enhance or influence their innate immune system. They can also act as a replacement for natural antibodies in people who are unable to produce them due to an autoimmune condition.

Monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19

In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency authorization for monoclonal antibodies to be used as a treatment for COVID-19. Monoclonal antibody treatment has shown great promise in reducing the risk of severe infection and hospitalization in high-risk COVID-19 patients, particularly when antibody treatment is initiated soon after diagnosis. guess.

The spiked shape of the COVID-19 virus has become commonplace in the public consciousness through department of health posters, news snippets and memes and may be due to the presence of spike-shaped proteins on its surface. face of the virus. These mutant proteins make COVID-19 highly effective at attaching to human cells. It is also the characteristic that makes COVID-19 a suitable candidate for treatment with monoclonal antibodies.

Many monoclonal antibodies have been developed with the specific target of binding to coronavirus spike proteins. They have been shown to be effective in neutralizing viruses and impairing their ability to bind and enter human cells. So far, monoclonal antibody treatment has been effective against COVID-19 variants. However, it is possible that future mutations of the COVID-19 virus could significantly alter the shape of the mutant protein structure. This may make existing monoclonal antibodies less effective and further research is needed to maintain the effectiveness of antibody treatment.

Monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment

Monoclonal antibodies can also be used during cancer treatment. In the best case scenario, the patient’s natural immune system responds to the cancer cells the same way it reacts to other antigens such as bacteria or viruses. The right antibodies are generated and can then target, bind to, and neutralize the cancer cell in the same way that other antibodies can bind to the COVID-19 protein.

However, some cancer cells are well known for their ability to evade detection and targeting by the natural immune system. Some types of cancer cells can disguise themselves so that the body doesn’t understand them as dangerous antigens to be eliminated. Other cancers can go even further and give off chemical signals of their own that confuse the immune system and prevent it from responding effectively. Monoclonal antibodies can be an important substitute for natural antibodies when this occurs.

Method of action

Because there are different types of monoclonal antibodies that target many distinct antigens, it means that there are also different mechanisms by which antibodies act against antigens.

In some cases, an antibody can attack its target antigen directly. Many other antibodies, including many anti-cancer antibodies, will attach to an infected cell without “fighting” it. Instead, these antibodies act as a flag to mark cancer cells for destruction by other disease-fighting molecules produced by the immune system in a separate secondary process.

So it’s not a simple matter for the immune system to send out the right antibodies to destroy the ailing disease in a person at any given time. Instead, it is seen as an extremely complex system of interdependent bodily processes, organs, substances, and functions.

Common methods by which antibodies work include:

  • Direct attack. Certain highly effective monoclonal antibodies can directly attack antigens. Direct neutralization usually involves binding between the antibody and the antigen, causing some kind of chain reaction that leads to the self-destruction of the antigen.
  • Membrane activation. Some monoclonal antibodies have been developed to trigger a particular type of immune system response to problematic cell membranes (e.g. cancer cells) that self-destruct, effectively killing the cells. .
  • Flagged. With flagging, the antibody does not directly destroy or neutralize the antigen when it binds to it. Instead, it marks or “flags” the disrupting cell or protein so that it can be destroyed by another antibody or immune system process. Mechanically, this could work in a number of ways. For example, binding between an antibody and an antigen can make an antigen heavier and slower, and so it’s easier for the body’s natural functions to target and eliminate it,
  • Block growth. When some antibodies bind to their target antigens, they do so in such a way that the antigen becomes coated and cannot absorb the proteins that allow it to multiply, grow, and spread. This is similar to causing the antigen to suffocate or starve.
  • Prevents the growth of blood vessels. A specialized monoclonal antibody that blocks the growth of new blood vessels. This may sound counterproductive for most health situations, but it can be used against certain types of cancer cells that require a steady blood supply.
  • Block substances that suppress the immune system. Part of the natural human immune system function is the production of suppressive proteins that prevent the immune system from being constantly hyperactive. By attacking these proteins, instead of attacking the antigens directly, the natural immune system has eliminated its mechanism of action. It can then be stimulated to produce its own antibodies at a rate the body can achieve.
  • Radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The monoclonal antibody’s ability to target and attach to specific problem proteins and cells makes it an excellent delivery method for other treatments. For example, a small radioactive particle can be attached to a monoclonal antibody to create a highly targeted, low radiation form of radiation therapy.

Hope for the future

Given the ability of monoclonal antibodies to achieve the above tasks – often with much higher success rates than natural antibodies – it is clear that monoclonal antibodies have a distinct role in the future. future of disease prevention and treatment. Continued research will no doubt reveal other uses for these important molecules.

The source:

https://www.upmc.com/coronavirus/monoclonal-antibodies

https://www.cdcfoundation.org/blog/spreading-word-benefits-monoclonal-antibodies-covid-19

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2776307

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/monoclonal-antibody/art-20047808

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