Monoclonal antibody and its use in the diagnosis of livestock diseases

The monoclonal antibody (mAb) is produced by the, hybridoma cells and uses of the proteins produced by such cells are in vogue. On the basis of specificity, such antibodies with single isotype have higher specificity, and the serological tests employed in show higher reproducibility compared to those with use of polyclonal antisera. There are several procedures of mAb production, varying considerably but the principle is the same, which states that antigens introduced into animals generally result in the stimulation of lymphocytes, some of which produce antibody of only one type, although the isotype may change. The developments in the field of cell culture and transfection technology resulted in the production of improved qualities of mAbs. In general, monoclonal antibodies are important reagents used in biomedical research, such as, in the field of diagnostics and therapeutics as well as targeted drug delivery systems. They have got importance for infectious diseases caused by microbes and parasites, cancer, metabolic and hormonal disorders, in the diagnosis of lymphoid and myeloid malignancies and tissue typing, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (especially blocking ELISA), radio immunoassay (RIA), serotyping of pathogens and their immunological intervention with passive antibody, anti-idiotype inhibition or magic bullet therapy with cytotoxic agents coupled with antimouse specific antibody. The application of mAbs in diagnosis of various livestock diseases is of a clinical diagnostic important area of concern as these diseases are a major and increasingly important factor reducing livestock productivity in various parts of the world. In this context, the application of mAbs for diagnosis of important bacterial diseases viz., Anthrax, Brucellosis, Paratuberculosis, etc., viral diseases viz., Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Rabies, Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/Infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IBR/IPV), etc. and parasitic diseases viz., dirofilariosis, and Trichinellosis,etc., have been discussed thoroughly to employ such assays, both in field and laboratories to strengthen the disease control programme.