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What is a monoclonal anti-body and how does it treat cancer?
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MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified) ) - 07 / 05 / 2012
A monoclonal antibody is an antibody that is derived from a single set of parent cells and can be produced to specifically target a protein on the surface of a cell. These targeted monoclonal antibodies can bind directly to cancer cells and kill those cells either directly or by activating the immune system to effect cell death. Monoclonal antibodies also can be used as vehicles to carry drugs, potent toxins, or radiation directly to the surface of a tumor cell. For example, Rituximab is an antibody that binds to a protein (CD20) that is found on the surface of lymphoma cells from almost all patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Similarly, other anti-CD20 antibodies have been used to carry radioactive iodine and yttrium directly to lymphoma cells. Yet another antibody binds to the CD30 antigen and is used to carry a potent drug directly to the surface of malignant cells in patients with Hodgkin’s disease and anaplastic large cell lymphoma that bear the target antigen.
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