In the
early 20th century, Paul Ehrlich envisioned a "magic bullet" to
selectively target disease-causing organisms without harming the patient. This
concept evolved into the development of monoclonal antibodies, pioneered by
Michael Potter, César Milstein, and Georges Köhler in the 1970s. Their
breakthrough in creating identical, unlimited antibody supply revolutionized
biomedical research. By 2014, monoclonal antibodies were widely used in
treating cancers, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory disorders.
The
Magic Bullet Concept
At the turn of
the twentieth century, German physician-scientist Paul Ehrlich proposed the
concept of a "magic bullet": a compound capable of selectively targeting
and killing disease-causing organisms without harming the patient. Ehrlich was
inspired by the early work of Emil von Behring and Kitasato Shibasaburō, who
introduced an antiserum for treating diphtheria and tetanus in 1890. The hope
that monoclonal antibodies could serve as "magic bullets" has
persisted.
The
Development of Monoclonal Antibodies
In the 1950s,
Michael Potter at the National Cancer Institute perfected a technique for
growing plasma cell tumors (plasmacytomas) in mice, producing highly specific
antibody molecules in response to antigens. Potter shared this technique with
scientists around the world, including Cesar Milstein and Georges Köhler, who,
in 1975, fused mouse spleen cells with myeloma cells to create hybridomas—cells
that produced monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies are identical, produced
in unlimited supply, and offer targeted treatments for a variety of diseases.
Impact
and Applications
The development
of monoclonal antibodies is regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest
advancements in biomedical research. Milstein and Köhler were awarded the Nobel
Prize in 1984 for their work. Since then, monoclonal antibodies have been used
for therapeutic purposes, including cancer treatment, autoimmune diseases, and
inflammatory disorders. By 2014, thirty monoclonal antibody-derived products
had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical use,
showcasing their significant clinical potential.
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| The depicted monoclonal antibody (mAb) is an immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecule, the most abundant class of antibodies found in the blood and lymph. |
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