Selective manipulation of the immune response in vivo by monoclonal antibodies.

The development of monoclonal antilymphocyte antibodies has greatly enhanced our ability to identify and bind specific antigens selectively on functionally distinct cells of the immune system. As a result, monoclonal antibodies have become a valuable tool in studies of the cellular mechanisms underlying immune responses. Moreover, because they can selectively alter immune responses in vivo, monoclonal antilymphocyte antibodies hold considerable promise as potential therapeutic agents for immunologically mediated disorders such as allograft rejection, graft-vs-host disease, and many autoimmune diseases. This review addresses the prospects for using monoclonal antilymphocyte antibodies in vivo and discusses some of the problems that remain to be solved.