Antibody Therapy

Rituxan is an FDA approved drug that belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies. According to MedNet, monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies that are produced from cloned immune cells. The antibodies are produced in mice where human genes have been introduced into so that they can produce the desired antibody after being exposed to the specific antigen. Rituxan utilizes these monoclonal antibodies to treat rheumatoid arthritis and B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It functions by reducing the number of B cells when treating rheumatoid arthritis and reducing tumor growth when treating B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

For treating rheumatoid arthritis, Rituxan is used when other medications are no longer effective and it works by reducing the production of B cells which are responsible for causing inflammation in the body. When treating B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Rituxan binds to a receptor called CD20, which is present on the majority of tumor cells. By binding to CD20 it affects the production of more tumor cells and is thought to lyse the tumor cells in some instances. Despite the benefits of this drug, there is a long list of side affects that are present in many people who take it. These side affects include:

• infusion-related reactions
• infections (may include fever, chills)
• body aches
• tiredness
• nausea
• low white and red blood cells
• swelling
• diarrhea
• muscle spasms
• upper respiratory tract infections
• more joint pain
• kidney and heart problems
• tumor lysis syndrome

Tumor lysis syndrome occurs in a few patients out of 10000 and it is where tumor cells are lysed too quickly where the body cannot eliminate them fast enough leading to kidney damage. Having an underlying heart disease or serious infection can also make it dangerous to take this drug because Rituxan suppresses the immune system to a certain extent leading to irregularities in heart rhythm and being more prone to infection. Since B cells are significantly reduced by this drug, antibody production is limited, therefore making the patient more prone to infections. These severe problems rarely happen but can be life threatening if they are present. Overall, I think the synthetic production of antibodies is an opening to a world of new treatments.