From Lab to Clinic: The Production of Different Types of Recombinant Antibodies as Cancer Treatments

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with a wide variety of treatments targeting it but no definite cure. Within the category of immunotherapy, which is focused on using one’s own immune system to target tumors, is monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The expanding treatment of recombinant monoclonal antibodies made using recombinant DNA technology has proven that it provides several benefits over the traditional monoclonal antibodies made with hybridoma technology. There are multiple formats of recombinant antibodies defined by their structure, of which the most common are single chain variable fragment (scFv), fragment antigen binding (Fab), and bispecific (bsAb). Using literature review, this paper intends to evaluate and compare the production and structures of recombinant scFv, Fab, and bsAb antibodies, with minimal mention of the application of each. It is found that the production methods for each format are very similar, though bispecific antibodies differ the most due to their structure. There are also differences in the methods used to ensure soluble expression of antibodies in each format. New recombinant antibodies are still being developed with the goal of minimizing production time and labor while maximizing stability and specificity. This paper will help in future research dedicated to production methods that would minimize the cost of recombinant antibody therapy for cancer patients in the future.