| Dedication and perseverance are the tools | | | | conjugated, for cancer treatments. |
| used in the last thirty years to develop and | | | | |
| approve antibodies for cancer prevention. | | | | A list of approved Mabs is available through |
| Monoclonal antibodies, or "Mabs", have been | | | | the ACA's web site. In 2004 and in 2006, |
| the result of medical researchers' long and | | | | Bevacizumab, a naked antibody, was approved |
| laborious hours behind microscopes, hoping to | | | | for treating certain types of breast cancers. |
| perfect the use of these cancer-fighting | | | | In 2001 the FDA approved the use of |
| cells for doctors all over the world. | | | | Alemuzumab, a naked antibody, which acts as a |
| | | | form of leukemia prevention by attaching |
| What their discoveries have done for cancer | | | | itself to both B and T cancer cells, causing |
| patients is tremendous, especially since the | | | | the body's immune system to attack and kill |
| number of individuals within the United | | | | them. In 2000, the FDA approved the use of a |
| States diagnosed with some form of cancer | | | | conjugated antibody, Gemtuzumab ozogamicin, |
| continue to rise each year. By using Mabs, | | | | which is used in the treatment of chronic |
| doctors and medical practitioners will have | | | | leukemia. |
| one more weapon to use against the silent, | | | | |
| yet deadly killer known as cancer. | | | | Each year cancer claims thousands of victims. |
| | | | Findings from the Pharmaceutical Research and |
| The American Cancer Society's (AMC) web site | | | | Manufacturer of America show that more than |
| explains that monoclonal antibodies were | | | | 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast |
| first developed in laboratories using mice | | | | cancer, close to 150,000 men and women will |
| with myeloma cells, which is a kind of bone | | | | be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and over |
| marrow cancer, and mice that produced | | | | 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer this |
| specific antibodies for those cells. The | | | | year. Given these numbers, it is not hard to |
| combination of these two cells, called a | | | | understand why the use and continual research |
| hybridoma cell, forces a perpetual factory | | | | of Mabs is critical to our society. |
| making antibodies. The antibodies end up | | | | |
| being identical clones of the original | | | | The recent approval of a vaccine used to |
| hybridoma cell, which is why they are called | | | | protect women from the Human Papilloma Virus, |
| monoclonal antibodies. | | | | a known link to the development of cervical |
| | | | cancer, demonstrates that research |
| The problem scientists faced with this | | | | laboratories are on the brink of helping find |
| phenomenal finding was that human antibodies | | | | more antibodies for cancer prevention, |
| recognized the mouse-produced antibodies as | | | | providing hope that the number of cancer |
| foreign invaders and attacked them. With hard | | | | patients will begin to decline. |
| work and dedication, scientists are | | | | |
| continuing to develop ways to integrate human | | | | Success often outweighs the failures that |
| antibodies in lieu of mouse antibodies so | | | | scientists and pharmaceutical researchers |
| cancer patients will be able to use the | | | | experience when trying to successfully find |
| immunotherapy as a form of treatment. | | | | treatments for cancer and other deadly |
| | | | diseases. The triumphs experienced within the |
| Today there are two types of Mabs, naked and | | | | last several decades have come in the form of |
| conjugated. The difference between these two | | | | antibodies for cancer prevention. The Mabs |
| lies in the fact that naked antibodies lack | | | | that have received approval by the FDA are |
| radioactive materials attached to them. | | | | now being used in the healing of cancer |
| Conjugated antibodies, on the other hand, are | | | | patients all over the world. As time goes by, |
| fused with a chemotherapy drug or other toxin | | | | these treatments will be further developed |
| used to fight off cancer cells. In recent | | | | and perfected, helping lead the way in cancer |
| years the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | | | | protection and treatment for generations to |
| has approved several Mabs, both naked and | | | | come. |