Generating therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for clinical application

The breakthrough by Köhler and Milstein in the 1970s permitted the deliberate production of antigen specific antibodies, opening the era of hybridoma monoclonal antibodies. Since then, monoclonal antibodies have greatly contributed to biological research and more recently, provided significant clinical value. The approaches for generating a therapeutic monoclonal antibody, or fragments thereof, have been diverse. However, the most exploited avenue remains with either a ‘well' humanized format or using technology platforms that immediately provide a fully human protein.