MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY (MAB)

In general, antibodies are large proteins used by the immune system to identify and neutralise foreign bodies such as bacteria, viruses, etc.

In the specific case of mAbs, these are glycoproteins produced by the cloning of a hybrid cell – created from the fusion of a single stem cell from the immune system and a plasma tumour cell – and designed to attack a specific antigen. They are often used in the treatment of diseases such as cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.