Antibody production in transgenic plants

Antibodies bind with great affinity and specificity to their target antigens, allowing them to be exploited in research, medicine, agriculture, and industry. It is estimated that more than 1,000 antibody-based pharmaceuticals are currently in development, and about 200 of these are already undergoing clinical evaluation in humans. Such widespread use of antibodies would benefit from a safe, convenient, and cost-effective system for large-scale production. Traditionally, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have been produced using murine hybridoma cell lines. However, advances in recombinant DNA techniques, improvements in gene transfers procedures and the development of phage display technology now open the way for the production of high-affinity recombinant antibodies in diverse expression systems. These technological advances also allow the expression of humanized antibodies and antibody derivatives [such as single-chain Fv (scFv) fragments and antibody fusion proteins], thus broadening the range of potential applications.