Monoclonal antibodies (mAb or moAb) are antibodies that are made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell. Monoclonal antibodies can have monovalent affinity, in that they bind to the same epitope (the part of an antigen that is recognized by the antibody). In contrast, polyclonal antibodies bind to multiple epitopes and are usually made by several different plasma cell (antibody secreting immune cell) lineages. Bispecific monoclonal antibodies can also be engineered, by increasing the therapeutic targets of one single monoclonal antibody to two epitopes.
Given almost any substance, it is possible to produce monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to that substance; they can then serve to detect or purify that substance. This has become an important tool in biochemistry, molecular biology, and medicine. When used as medications, non-proprietary drug names end in -mab (see "Nomenclature of monoclonal antibodies") and many immunotherapy specialists use the word mab anacronymically.
Foods That Increase Antibodies
Antibodies are proteins found in the blood that function to help rid your body of viruses and bacteria. Also called immunoglobulins, antibodies are produced by the immune system when viruses or bacteria are detected. Each different type of virus or bacteria has a different kind of antibody that is generated to destroy it. There are many things you can do to increase your number of antibodies and stay healthy. One way is to eat foods rich in the vitamins and minerals that stimulate the production of antibodies.
