monoclonal antibody

American  

noun

Biotechnology.

1. antibody produced by a laboratory-grown cell clone, either of a hybridoma or a virus-transformed lymphocyte, that is more abundant and uniform than natural antibody and is able to bind specifically to a single site on almost any chosen antigen or reveal previously unknown antigen sites: used as an analytic tool in scientific research and medical diagnosis and potentially important in the treatment of certain diseases. MAb

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monoclonal antibody British  

/ ˌmɒnəʊˈkləʊnəl /

noun

1. an antibody, produced by a single clone of cells grown in culture, that is both pure and specific and is capable of proliferating indefinitely to produce unlimited quantities of identical antibodies: used in diagnosis, therapy, and biotechnology

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Etymology

Origin of monoclonal antibody

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Developed with U.S. government funding, it is a monoclonal antibody treatment.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The biotech company released positive data for a Phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy of zumilokibart, a monoclonal antibody targeting proteins related to inflammation, in patients with atopic dermatitis.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Leqembi, known generically as lecanemab, is a monoclonal antibody that works to remove a protein called amyloid from the brain.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2024

The drug, Pemgarda, is a monoclonal antibody infusion that can be taken as a preventive measure, before people contract the virus.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2024

All five CAR-T therapies developed by the Zang team used the same novel targeting protein: a monoclonal antibody that binds to B7-H3, a cancer-cell antigen widely expressed on most solid tumors and their blood vessels.

From Science Daily • May 8, 2024