Therapeutic Antibody Engineering

Antibodies are blood proteins that chemically combine with substances in the body, such as bacteria, viruses and foreign substances in the blood.

They are highly adaptive structures and, specifically, monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) – that bind to only one substance – have emerged as a major target of research for biological drugs for various diseases. For cancer treatments, Mabs bind only to cancer cells and produce immunological responses against the cancer cells.

Fueled by advances in molecular biology and genetic engineering, efforts are underway to engineer new generations of Mabs with tumor-fighting effects that are less harmful to normal cells (as compared to traditional cancer treatments).