Monoclonal Antibodies: The Generation and Application of 'Tools of the Trade' Within Biomedical Science.

This article focuses on monoclonal antibodies in cellular pathology. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) serve as medical diagnostic and therapeutic reagents, as well as molecular probes to identify macromolecules and cells. In brief, MAbs can be produced by fusing (hybridising) myeloma cells and splenic B cells derived from rodents, e.g. mice or rats, that have been immunised with an antigen. Alternative methods of generating antibody reagents are also evident, e.g. recombinant phage antibodies, human antibodies, as is the modification of clinically useful antibodies through genetic engineering.