Huong N. answered 07/07/20
Pharmacist, PharmD, MTM
Monoclonal antibodies are clones of a unique parent cell that bind to a single antigen. This means that its possible to design a monoclonal antibody that will bind to any specific substance and that substance alone. Their characteristic specificity as opposed to a drug's selectivity makes them valuable a tool used in the research, diagnosis and treatment of diverse diseases.
As a diagnostic agent, it can be used to detect the presence of a specific substance in the body. The western blot is one example. In research they are used to purify their target compounds from mixtures. And in therapeutics, such as cancer therapy, they are designed to target specific cancer cell antigens and induce an immune response against it. This is just a very short list. The uses of monoclonal and polyclonal antibody are numerous and far-reaching but you can see its potential.