UPSC Articles
A project to develop human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) approved
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health & GS-III – Science and Technology
In News:
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has approved a project to develop human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) through New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) programme.
- These antibodies can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in patients.
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for causing coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Key takeaways:
- hmAbs shall be generated from convalescent phase of COVID-19 patients.
- High affinity and neutralizing antibodies shall be selected.
- The project aims to anticipate future adaptation of the virus and generate hmAbs clones that can neutralize the mutated virus and combat future SARS-CoV infections.
Important value additions:
New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)
- It is the largest public-private-partnership effort within the Research & Development field in the country.
- It seeks to act as a catalyst in innovation-centered scientific and technological developments.
- It also aims to help Indian industry achieve a global leadership position.
Monoclonal antibodies (mAb or moAb)
- They are antibodies that are made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell.
- They can have monovalent affinity, in that they bind to the same epitope (the part of an antigen that is recognized by the antibody).
