Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Landmark
  • Published:

Monoclonal antibodies: the story of a discovery that revolutionized science and medicine

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 4, pages 153–156 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies are unique molecules that can be used equally well in research, diagnosis and in the treatment of diverse diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. In this article, I describe how three scientists from different cultural backgrounds made this remarkable discovery, which has had such impact on medical research.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2: Photograph of Georges Köhler and Niels Jerne.
Figure 3: Cell fusion and monoclonal antibody production.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Köhler, G. & Milstein, C. Continuous cultures of fused cells secreting antibodies of predefined specificity. Nature 256, 495–497 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Silverstein, A. M. in Fundamental Immunology. 3rd edn (ed. Paul, W. E.) 21–41 (Raven Press, New York, 1993).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Janeway, C et al. Immunobiology. (Garland Publishers, 2001).

  4. Jerne, N. K. The natural-selection theory of antibody formation. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 41, 849–857 (1955).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Burnet, F. M. Immunological recognition of self. Nobel lecture, 589–701 (12 December 1960).

  6. Tonegawa, S. Somatic generation of immune diversity. Nobel lecture, 381–405 (8 December 1987).

  7. Jerne, N. K. & Nordin, A. A. Plaque formation in agar by single antibody producing cells. Science 140, 405 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Jerne, N. K. The generative grammar of the immune system. Nobel lecture, 211–225 (8 December 1984).

  9. Milstein, C. From the structure of antibodies to the diversification of the immune response. Nobel lecture, 248–270 (8 December 1984).

  10. Köhler, G. Derivation and diversification of monoclonal antibodies. Nobel lecture, 228–243 (8 December 1984).

  11. Alkan, S. S. & Braun, D. G. In Synthetic Peptides as Antigens. 264–278 (Ciba Foundation, Wiley, Chichester, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Asselbergs, F. et al. Localization of peptides recognized by monoclonal antibodies on tissue-type and urokinase-type plasminogen activators using recombinant hybrid enzymes. Fibrinolysis 7, 1–14 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Alkan, S. S. et al. Estimation of heterokaryon formation and hybridoma growth in murine and human cell fusions. Hybridoma 6, 371–379 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Monoclonal Antibody-Based Diagnostics. Global Industry Analysts, 1998.

  15. Antibody Engineering, special edition, J. Immunol. Methods 231 (1999).

  16. Pollock, D. P. et al. Transgenic milk as a method for the production of recombinant antibodies. J. Immunol. Methods 231, 147–157 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. W. Mckenzie's PharmaQuant™. Monoclonal antibodies: on the crest of a wave. Horizons, Pharmaceuticals Issue 6 (January 2003).

  18. Jerne, N. K. & Melchers, F. 25 Years Basel Institute for Immunology Annual Report Introductions. (Roche, Basel, Switzerland, 1996).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Soloski, M. J. What on Earth is a Monoclonal Antibody? Johns Hopkins Arthritis Information on monoclonal antibody development (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Brekke, O. H. & Sandlie, I. Therapeutic antibodies for human diseases at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Nature Rev. Drug Discovery 2, 52–62 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to F. Cochran and C. Akdis for critical reading of the manuscript.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Sefik S. Alkan

    Present address: Head of Immunology at Pharmaceuticals division, 3M Centre, St Paul, 55144, Minnesota, USA

Authors and Affiliations

    Authors
    1. Sefik S. Alkan
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Ethics declarations

    Competing interests

    The author declares no competing financial interests.

    Related links

    Related links

    FURTHER INFORMATION

    The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1984

    César Milstein autobiography

    Niels K. Jerne autobiography

    Georges J.F. Köhler CV

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Cite this article

    Alkan, S. Monoclonal antibodies: the story of a discovery that revolutionized science and medicine. Nat Rev Immunol 4, 153–156 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri1265

    Download citation

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri1265

    This article is cited by

    Search

    Advanced search

    Quick links

    Nature Briefing

    Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

    Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing