Antibody-directed therapy: past, present, and future.

Antibody-based therapy, which is the administration of polyclonal, hyperimmune, or monoclonal antibodies, has emerged as an important therapeutic approach in a wide variety of diseases. Polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin became available in the early 1980s and supplanted intramuscular IgG in the treatment of antibody-deficiency diseases. During the last 2 decades, intravenous immunoglobulin has shown potent immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects in many diseases. Whether these effects are mediated through specific antibody or Fc-receptor interactions is unclear. This review examines some of the current and future prospects for antibody-based therapy.