RNA, but not as we know it
BMJ 2008; 336 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0803094 (Published 01 March 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;336:0803094
- Ryan Hobson, FY11
- 1Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham
The holy grail of modern medicine is the inhibition of the molecules and biochemical pathways involved in generating disease. Cancer, for example, would be a thing of the past if you could therapeutically inhibit the aberrant pathways that enable unregulated cell division. For longer than a century the medical world has sought “magic bullets” that might perform these functions.12
Monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that have been engineered to target particular molecules and to block their functioning. This method of inhibition is similar to the way in which an enzyme is inhibited when its active site is blocked. With their natural specificity and tight binding ability, monoclonal antibodies were thought to be ideal for the role of magic bullets. However, despite the introduction of a number of …
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