Pharmacology
Monoclonal Antibody
Also known as: mAb, Therapeutic antibody
Definition
A laboratory-made protein that acts like human antibodies in the immune system, designed to attach to specific targets on cells.
Detailed Explanation
Monoclonal antibodies are engineered to bind to specific proteins on cancer cells or immune cells. They can work in several ways: marking cancer cells for destruction, blocking growth signals, delivering toxic substances, or blocking checkpoint proteins. Most immunotherapy drugs are monoclonal antibodies, indicated by the '-mab' suffix in their names.