Catalytic antibodies and their applications

Catalytic antibodies (CAbs) occur naturally in healthy individuals where they may form part of the innate immune system, but are preferentially found in those with autoimmune disease. CAbs can also be artificially engineered or elicited by immunizations. Their mechanisms of action include nucleophilic catalysis, induction of conformational strain, coordination with metal ions, and stabilization of transition states. Recent applications of CAbs with clinical significance include the conversion of cocaine to a non-psychoactive form, the degradation of nicotine, activation of prodrugs for targeted chemotherapy, protection from ultraviolet radiation, inhibition of HIV infectivity, and the destruction of aggregates of β-amyloid implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Artificial CAbs are likely to find increasing applications in research, clinical medicine, diagnostics and manufacturing.