Thursday, October 17, 2013

General Information About Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

By Armand Zeiders


Perhaps one of the most important benefits of modern technology includes the advances that we have made in the field of medicine. For instance, many debilitating diseases are now being treated with the help of monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies are made to specifically target cell defects which cause everything from cancer to some types of arthritis. Your body produces natural antibodies in the immune system to ward off bacteria, viruses and other foreign invaders and these lab-created monoclonal antibodies work my mimicking these natural antibodies. Laboratory mice are often the source from which these antibodies derive, but sometimes the antibodies are cloned from human cells.

Monoclonal antibodies have a variety of different uses. For instance, monoclonal antibodies are used in several diagnostic tests to find traces of small amounts of drugs and toxins. Some pregnancy tests have been created with the help of monoclonal antibodies and also the diagnosis of AIDS also is made possible with their help. Monoclonal antibodies have also paved the way to modern advancements in medical technology by treating viral diseases that were once considered to be untreatable before.

This is why monoclonal antibody treatments are becoming well recognized today. More and more people are looking for an alternative in treating their disease and they have found it with a monoclonal antibody treatment. This is done by binding the manufactured antibodies to target cells or proteins. These cells will then be targeted and attacked from the inside with the patient's immune system. This proved to be a treatment that has fewer risks compared to other kinds of drugs.

Many cancers are treated with monoclonal antibody drugs. Radioimmunodetection and radioimmunotherapy also utilize the antibody treatments. This works by targeting only the cell membranes of cancerous cells which is much safer since it avoids damaging or affecting other vital organs. A cancer medication was created based on monoclonal antibodies that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body and it is called Ritoxin. Furthermore, ADEPT or antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy is a new form of cancer treatment that uses monoclonal antibodies. It should be noted though that this treatment still under development and not approved yet for treatment among the general population.

Monoclonal antibodies are not only used to treat cancer since they are now widely used to treat other types of diseases today. It is now possible to treat many autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and some types of macular degeneration with their help.

Scientists continue to do their research and study about these manufactured antibodies. Monoclonal antibody treatment is still in the early development stages and there is still room for further improvement. In the future, many are hoping that this drug will be the key to fight many diseases, from Alzheimer's disease to multiple sclerosis and many more.




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