Molecular biotherapy with human monoclonal antibodies

Human monoclonal antibodies are theoretically superior to murine monoclonal antibodies for many reasons. However, there are many hurdles in their preparation and clinical use, including the source of B lymphocytes, immortalization techniques, screening methods, scale-up limitations, purification steps, and the problems associated with conjugating to cytotoxic substances. Chimeric mouse/human antibodies are an alternative approach. Optimum clinical utilization will require a better understanding of target antigens and the ability to formulate cocktails.