Infectious disease monoclonal antibodies

Thus far, Lhe discussion relaling to the medical uses of monoclonals has focused exclusively upon cancer. Monoclonal antibodies (and their derivatives), however, have a far broader potential therapeutic application. Actual/potential additional uses include detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease, infectious agents, and various additional medical conditions (Table 13.2). 

The modern biotechnology industry has come up with important blood products, infectious disease combatants, immunotherapy products, growth factors for mammalian cells, and monoclonal antibodies. Approximately 4600 biotechnology companies exist in the world. Over 140 biopharmaceuticals are on the market and hundreds more are in the clinic against over 200 diseases (AIDS, cardiovascular, diabetes, arthritis, cancer etc). 

By 2005,18 monoclonal antibodies had been approved for treatment of several diseases, especially for various cancers as well as infectious and inflammatory conditions, with many more under development. 

Points to Consider in the Manufacture and Testing of Monoclonal Antibody Products for Human Use Points to Consider on Plasmid DNA Vaccines for Preventive Infectious Disease Indications Points to Consider in the Manufacture and Testing of Therapeutic Products for Human Use Derived from Transgenic Animals... 

V. Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Infectious Diseases A. Septic Shock... 

In the 1980s, monoclonal antibodies were hailed as magic bullet therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. Humanized monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are now succeeding as drugs where mouse MAbs failed. Fully humanized MAbs are in the development pipeline, and therapeutic-biospecific MAbs are extending the versatility of nature s magic bullets. Several MAbs are now FDA-approved drugs (Table 2). Several MAbs are also in development (Table 3).3... 

Recent reviews Hst more than 400 biotechnology-based pharmaceutical formulations either registered in clinical trials or undergoing review by the regulatory agencies for the treatment of nearly 150 diseases including cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and AIDS/HIV (1,2). Biotechnology-based pharmaceuticals already on the markets include recombinant blood factors, recombinant hormones, cytokines, vaccines, monoclonal antibody-based products, and therapeutic enzymes. 

Antibody therapeutics can potentially treat diseases that can be as diverse as autoimmune disorders to cancer and infectious diseases. Antibodies are currently rated as an important and growing class of biotherapeutics. Other than vaccines, monoclonal antibodies currently in development outnumber all other classes of therapeutics. Recombination technology plays a key role in the development and commercialization of therapeutic antibodies. In fact, eight of nine antibody products on the... 

Use of monoclonal antibodies to detect and quantify specific pathogens, differences between virulent and non-virulent pathogens, and pathogen resistance to pesticides (fungicides), and to prevent disease by conferring passive immunity to an infectious agent. 

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