Main Areas of Application
Immunobiological preparations are used in two key areas that constitute the core of immunology:
- Immunoprophylaxis. Aims to prevent diseases by inducing host resistance to a pathogen. This is achieved through active immunity (via antigen administration) or passive immunity (via administration of preformed protective antibodies).
- Immunotherapy. Used to treat established pathology. It is essential in diseases associated with immune dysregulation or in cases where the immune response plays a primary role in recovery.
Strategically, these methods execute three scenarios: activation (immune stimulation), suppression (downregulation of hyperactivity), and correction (normalization during imbalance).
Classification of Preparations
According to standard pharmacological classification, there are five main groups:
- Microbial-derived preparations. Include live or killed bacteria, viruses, fungi, and their metabolic products (toxoids). This group includes vaccines, bacteriophages, and probiotics.
- Antibody-based preparations. Derived from specific antibodies. These include immunoglobulins, immune sera, immunotoxins, catalytic antibodies (abzymes), as well as receptor-based and minibodies.
- Immunomodulators. Used to correct immunity during infections and immunodeficiencies. They are divided into exogenous (adjuvants, hormones, antimetabolites, interferon inducers) and endogenous (cytokines, thymic peptides, myelopeptides).
- Adaptogens. Substances of natural origin (e.g., ginseng and eleuthero extracts) exhibiting broad biological activity.
- Diagnostic preparations. Agents for detecting antigens, antibodies, enzymes, and foreign cells.
Production of Monoclonal Antibodies
Under physiological conditions (in vivo), exposure to an antigen activates multiple B-lymphocyte clones, resulting in a heterogeneous mixture known as polyclonal antibodies.
For laboratory and medical applications, monoclonal antibodies—identical molecules synthesized by a single cell clone—are required. However, normal B-lymphocytes cannot proliferate indefinitely in vitro. This limitation is overcome using the hybridoma technology developed by Köhler and Milstein.
The method involves fusing an immune B-lymphocyte (providing specificity) with a myeloma tumor cell (providing immortal proliferation capacity). The resulting hybridoma actively replicates and produces the desired antibodies. To prevent human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) rejection responses, humanized (chimeric) antibodies are created, featuring a human constant region and a murine variable region.
Clinical Significance
Immunobiological preparations are often the primary or sole treatment modality for severe conditions.
- Vaccination has successfully eradicated smallpox, eliminated poliomyelitis in many regions, and drastically reduced the incidence of measles, mumps, and rubella.
- Serotherapy (administration of immune sera and immunoglobulins) is critical for saving patients with toxemic infections such as botulism and tetanus.
- Monoclonal antibodies and cytokines play an increasingly prominent role in treating non-infectious conditions, including allergic, autoimmune, and oncological disorders.