Definition

Noun: A monoclonal antibody is a laboratory-produced antibody that is made by identical immune cells (clones) from a single parent cell. These antibodies are designed to bind specifically to one substance, such as a particular protein on a cancer cell or a virus.

Usage and Examples

Monoclonal antibodies are used primarily in medicine and research. * Scientists developed a monoclonal antibody to target the virus's spike protein. * The patient's treatment involves an infusion of a monoclonal antibody. * This monoclonal antibody therapy is used to treat certain autoimmune diseases.

Advanced Usage

• "Humanized monoclonal antibody": A monoclonal antibody that has been genetically engineered to contain mostly human antibody sequences, reducing the chance of an immune reaction in patients.
  • The new drug is a humanized monoclonal antibody.
• "Monoclonal antibody therapy": A treatment that uses monoclonal antibodies to fight diseases like cancer.
  • She is responding well to monoclonal antibody therapy.

Variants and Related Words

• mAb: A common abbreviation for monoclonal antibody.
  • The new mAb shows promising results in clinical trials.
• Polyclonal antibodies: A mixture of antibodies produced by different immune cells, which target multiple parts of an antigen. This contrasts with the single-target specificity of a monoclonal antibody.
• Hybridoma: The cell line created by fusing an antibody-producing B cell with a tumor cell, which is used to produce monoclonal antibodies.

Synonyms

• Laboratory-synthesized antibody
• Engineered antibody

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "Targeted therapy": A type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific types of cells. Monoclonal antibodies are a key form of targeted therapy.
  • Monoclonal antibodies are a cornerstone of modern targeted therapy.
• "Checkpoint inhibitor": A type of drug that blocks proteins used by cancer cells to avoid being attacked by the immune system. Many checkpoint inhibitors are monoclonal antibodies.
  • The checkpoint inhibitor is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the PD-1 protein.

Noun

1. any of a class of antibodies produced in the laboratory by a single clone of cells or a cell line and consisting of identical antibody molecules