Monoclonal antibodies and their role in modulation of the immune response.

Clinical studies in patients having been vaccinated with immunogenic glycoproteins suggest that a monoclonal antibody response is important in helping to induce cell mediated tumor destruction. Such a monoclonal response was noted to characterize the reaction to several different immunogenic antigens administered in an adjuvant setting. The resulting cell mediated reaction appeared to be associated with concomitant antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and an anti-idiotype monoclonal response. Both 31.1 and 33.28 protein derived colon carcinoma monoclonal antibodies have been found to be capable of turning on natural killer (NK) cell activity as part of ADCC. In vivo studies with specific antigens to induce an anti-tumor response have suggested that the mechanism of tumor cell destruction is complex and associated with T-cell activation, anti-idiotype production, and complement binding on the tumor membrane.