The discovery of monoclonal antibodies

In 1975 molecular biologists GJF Koehler and C. Milstein in the natural hybridization technology, based on the establishment of hybridoma technology, they can be cultured in vitro and mass proliferation of mouse myeloma cells and antigen-immunized pure Mouse splenic cell fusion, a hybrid cell lines, both with tumor cells in vitro easy to unlimited proliferation characteristics, but also with the antibody-forming cells synthesis and secretion of specific antibodies. This hybridoma can be cultured as a single cell, forming a single cell line, i.e., monoclonal. A large number of highly concentrated and very homogeneous antibodies can be obtained by culturing or intraperitoneally inoculating mice, and the structure, amino acid sequence, and specificity of the antibody are uniform, and in the course of culturing, as long as there is no variation, Time secreted by antibodies can maintain the same structure and function. This monoclonal antibody can not be obtained by other methods.

The use of monoclonal antibodies in life

Monoclonal antibodies can be used to explore the fine structure of the protein; the surface of the new subpopulations of lymphocyte subsets; histocompatibility antigens; hormone and drug radioimmunoassay (or enzyme immunoassay); tumor localization and classification; purification of microbial and parasitic antigens ;immunotherapy and drug-binding immuno-chemotherapy ( "missile" therapy, the use of monoclonal antibodies and target cells specific binding, bring the drug to the lesion).

Therefore, monoclonal antibodies can be directly used in the diagnosis of human disease, prevention, treatment and immune mechanisms of research for human malignancy immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy has opened up broad prospects

Advantages and Limitations

1、 The advantages of monoclonal antibodies

(1) Hybridomas can survive and pass "permanently" in vitro, and produce highly specific, highly homogeneous antibodies as long as they do not mutate into cell lines.

(2) a large number of highly specific, homogeneous antibodies can be obtained with relatively impure antigens.

(3) Since it is possible to obtain an "unlimited amount" of homogeneous antibodies, it is suitable for immunological analysis methods characterized by labeled antibodies, such as IRMA and ELISA.

(4) due to the high specificity of monoclonal antibodies and a single biological function, can be used for in vivo radioimmunoimaging and immunological therapy.

2、 The limitations of monoclonal antibodies

(1) the intrinsic affinity of the monoclonal antibody and the limitations of its biological activity limit its scope of application. Since monoclonal antibodies can not carry out precipitation and agglutination, many detection methods can not be completed with monoclonal antibodies.

(2) monoclonal antibody response than the intensity of polyclonal antibodies.

(3) preparation technology is complex, and time-consuming labor, so the price of monoclonal antibodies are higher.