Monoclonal humanised Antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies whose variable extremities are able to recognise single antigen-binding sites. The antigen of interest is injected into a rodent.  The rodent becomes immunised, i.e. it manufactures B-lymphocytes that produce antibodies directed against the antigen injected. B-lymphocyte producers of antibodies are taken and fused with cancer cells to form hybridoma. These mixed cells have the properties of being able to multiply and to secrete the antibodies sought.  It is thus possible to obtain a large quantity of antibodies directed against the same antigen.

Humanising monoclonal antibodies

souris = mouse; chimère = chimera; humanisé = humanised

The production of recombinant humanised antibodies (rhu-Mab-HER2, trastuzumab) has enabled its development in humans. Trastuzumab (Herceptin^®) is a chimeric monoclonal antibody consisting of constant regions of human G1 Kappa immunoglobulin and hypervariable regions of murine anti-p185 that bind with the extracellular membrane domain of the Epidermal Growth Factor receptor.