Human Monoclonal Antibodies and Immune Modulation in Viral Hepatitis, Schistosomiasis, and HTLV Infection

Abstract

Therapeutic interventions can be devised by using human monoclonal antibodies. The data taken together show at a clonal level the existence of an immunoregulatory human immune network in the human infection. The utility of human monoclonal antibodies for diagnostic purposes is illustrated by our investigation to identify and characterize immunogenic domains of human T-lymphotropic type I and type II viruses. A number of human monoclonal antibodies specific for hepatitis B virus surface antigen have been generated. Human monoclonal antibodies have been also generated to the nonstructural proteins of hepatitis C virus. The development of human monoclonal antibodies binding schistosome antigens is essential to the understanding of multiple aspects of schistosomal infection. Human monoclonal antibodies are also being used to study protection against infection with schistosomes. The characterization of human monoclonal antibodies recognizing schistosome antigens has elucidated the understanding of which parasite antigens can be specifically recognized by human monoclonal antibody reagents.