Review

Monoclonal antibodies in clinical diagnosis: A brief review application

Muhammad Saleem^1* and Mustafa Kamal²

¹Pharmaceutical Research Center, PCSIR Laboratories Complex, Karachi-75280, Pakistan.

²Department of Biotechnology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: m_saleemqazi@yahoo.com. Tel: +92-021-4642894-98, 4655324. Fax: +92-021-464184.

Accepted 20 February, 2008

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been an invaluable tool that has added to our biological knowledge for over a decade. mAb are important diagnostic reagents used in biomedical research, microbiological research in diagnosis of Hepatitis, AIDs, influenza, herpes simplex, Chlamydia infections and in treatment of such diseases as infections and cancer. The worldwide clinical diagnostics industry is valued at approximately $19 billion, with a growth rate of nearly 5% per year. Kohler and Milstein have first developed the means for the production of monoclonal antibodies. The first mAb production, a whole new era in the study of biotechnology has been opened. Further this hybridoma technology has been improved over the years, particular by pre-selection of antigen-binding B cells and by screening with antigen-coating filters. The modern popularity of the immunoassay is almost directly related to the development of recombinant mAb technology advancement. Hybridoma-derived or bacterially cloned monoclonal antibody technology has enabled the mass production of highly specific probes for antigenic sites, whether on enzymes, receptors, hormones, or microbial products. The great utility of such antibody assays is in their ability to be easily automated and standardized, primarily through an adaptation of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Monoclonal antibody diagnostic kits being increasingly used to identify communicable diseases including transfusion transmissible infections. More than 100 different monoclonal antibody diagnostic products are currently available. These monoclonal antibodies are produced by in vitro and in vivo method but have advantages and some disadvantages. The aim of present mini review articles is to demonstrate the monoclonal antibodies for the diagnosis of viral disease, their application and current market in clinical sciences.

Key word: Monoclonal antibody application, diagnostic tool.