antibody, monoclonal

A monoclonal antibody is an antibody against a specific antigen that is produced in large quantities by a population of B-cell lymphocytes that are all duplicates descended from one original antibody producing cell (they are truly clones of the original cell). While this type of antibody may occur naturally in the course of certain rare leukemias, nowadays, these antibodies are produced artificially for medical purposes

to immunize against disease, for example the new antibody preparation against infection of small babies with RSV, palivizumab (Synagis¨)
to attempt to kill cancer cells

Site Information/Disclaimer