A typical immune response sees a mix of antibodies binding to a range of epitopes - the part of the antigen that is recognised by the antibody and which can trigger the immune response. However, a MAB preparation contains a single antibody that targets a specific antigen or single epitope.

This selective targeting can knock out the disease process while reducing the risk of downstream side effects. MAB production methods also mean that there is very little batch-to-batch variation and low cross-reactivity compared to polyclonal antibodies.³

The optimal monoclonal antibody is normally derived from a B lymphocyte which, once isolated, is typically fused with a myeloma cell (a malignant B cell) to form a hybridoma. This will create an immortalised cell line for consistent cloning in great numbers.

Using a single parent B cell to produce the antibodies means the successive antibodies are the same or homogenous and only recognise a single epitope on the antigen.

Immortalisation hybrids have also been developed by introducing viral nucleic acids into the B cell, or by using an immortal cell culture line. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells can be used for this.¹