Application of monoclonal antibodies in animal production: A review

The hybridoma technology for production of monoclonal antibodies circumvents many of the constraints associated with the use of conventional antisera, and consequently broadens the areas of application of antibodies in animal sciences. In the present review, the potential usefulness of monoclonal antibodies in animal production - with emphasis on reproduction - is discussed, including the inherent limitations of the current technology and the improvements that can be foreseen within the next few years. Because of their unique specificity and the fact that they can be produced in virtually unlimited quantities, monoclonal antibodies are an important tool in diagnostics. However, the use of these antibodies does not always guarantee absolute specificity, and the low affinity of many monoclonal antibodies will impose a number of limitations on their use. Monoclonal antibodies can also be used to optimize physiological processes such as growth and reproduction. For this, homologous antibodies will probably offer several advantages over their murine counterparts in terms of effectiveness for passive immunization. Some success has already been achieved in the development of monoclonal antibodies from livestock species. Finally, it is shown that monoclonal antibodies are becoming extremely powerful research tools.