Monoclonal Antibodies

Certolizumab is a very important monoclonal antibody drug that has been approved by the FDA for use in humans as seen in this article. Monoclonal antibodies have become very useful in the treatment of diseases. These are very specifically produced in a lab and are unique because they bind to only one specific cell. They have the same characteristics and will be able to bind to the same epitope of a cancerous or dangerous cell in the body. They are also very important in the diagnosis of various diseases and play a large role in the body’s specific immune responses. By using monoclonal antibodies to diagnose certain diseases, there is now a more standardized and consistent system regarding diagnostic testing. An article by the Mayo Clinic also discusses how monoclonal antibodies are proving very useful in the treatment of various types of cancers.

Certolizumab specifically is used to help lessen the effects of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease in an individual as seen in another article by MedicineNet. This antibody does this by binding to tumor necrosis factor alpha in the body and blocking it. The TNFalpha protein contributes greatly to inflammation in the body, which is exactly what the body needs to fight against. Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis are both caused by this inflammation from the immune system and require these monoclonal antibodies to help stop this inflammation. When certolizumab binds to TNFalpha, inflammation decreases greatly and helps to calm many of the symptoms associated with these two diseases. However, there are several side effects that are important to take into account. These include:

• Respiratory tract infections
• Urinary tract infections
• Arthralgia (pain in the joints)
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Intestinal obstruction
• Redness
• Pain
• Itching at site of injection

In serious cases, certolizumab has also been known to cause:

• Tuberculosis
• Sepsis
• Fungal infections
• Congestive heart failure (or worsen it)
• Cancer
• Allergic reactions
• Reduced levels of platelets and RBCs in the blood
• If an individual has chronic hepatitis B, there is a chance this drug could cause the virus to reactivate

As stated in an article by John Hopkins Arthritis Center, an individual must test negative for tuberculosis if they want to begin taking certolizumab. Furthermore, the individual should not receive any live vaccines while taking this drug. I believe that this is due to the fact that these antibodies are inhibiting the inflammatory response of the immune system. If an individual had latent TB for example and the inflammatory response of the immune system was lessened, this could cause TB to grow and spread in the body. This drug seems to have an impact on both the acquired and innate immune response, but specifically the innate. It seems to weaken the roles of the inflammatory response in innate immunity respond to dangerous viruses. Furthermore, as mentioned in the side effects above, it lessens the presence of white and red blood cells, which both play important roles in innate immunity. These drugs are important to the immune system, but they must be taken cautiously to avoid further disease in an individual.