Antibodies Proposed as Therapeutic Agents

Abstract

The history of antibody development is one of a breakthrough discovery, followed by repeated refinements. The discovery occurred in 1887 when Sewall reported that pigeons could be immunized with preventive inoculation of rattlesnake venom. It took another 100 years, however, for Sewall’s discovery to evolve into a safe and effective treatment for humans. Curiously, Sewall did not extend his work into the realm of therapeutics. Fortunately, Calmette reported in 1894 that an animal could be protected against envenomation with the serum of another animal which had been immunized to the venom. The concept of serotherapy was thus born and the rush to produce new serotherapies was on. These pioneering investigators did not realize that their therapy involved a blood component we now term the antibody, nor that the foundation of their treatment was based on a highly specific interaction called antigen-antibody binding. Indeed, Calmette initially claimed that his cobra antiserum would cure the bite of all snakes ! But every new discovery produces misconceptions, which are corrected as further research emerges. In the case of serotherapy, Brazil (1901) soon demonstrated that Calmette’s antiserum did not protect against Crotalus durissus terrificus. In 1900, Erlich proposed the concept of antibodies. Although his depiction was somewhat inaccurate, he made it possible to conceive how an antiserum could protect the recipient. His theoretical construct was needed as a basis for further research.