Therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibodies

摘要

During the last two decades, the rapid growth of biotechnology-derived techniques has led to a myriad of therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibodies with significant clinical benefits. Recombinant monoclonal antibodies can be obtained from a number of natural sources such as animal cell cultures using recombinant DNA engineering. In contrast to most low molecular weight drugs, which are chemically synthesized and their structures are well understood, recombinant monoclonal antibodies are large (e.g., 150 kDa) complex mixtures possessing post-translational modifications. Therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibodies represent the state-of-the-art of biomedical research and provide effective strategies to treat a number of diseases for which there are no available treatments. The hallmark of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody is to bind to its target antigen (e.g., a cancer cell) with high affinity and specificity and render its destruction. A brief overview of recombinant therapeutic monoclonal antibodies including their structures, productions, and clinical applications is presented. This article is a general tutorial for upper-level pharmacy and premed undergraduate students and graduate students with an introductory biochemistry background.