Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies.

The role of antibodies in the destruction of pathogenic cells is a basic concept in immunology. The advent of monoclonal antibodies (MCA) has renewed interest in cancer immunotherapy because of their specificity, and because they can be linked to radionuclides, drugs and toxins. MCA of defined specificity are continuously produced by permanent cell lines using the hybridoma method. These MCA are chemically homogeneous, react with constant avidity to single antigenic determinants, and can be isolated in quantities previously not obtainable by conventional methods. There are many problems associated with the therapeutic use of MCA. In this paper such problems and possible solutions are described, followed by a review of the literature on monoclonal antibody therapy.