What happens to normal body cells when using monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment?

The use of monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment is designed to specifically target and attack cancer cells while sparing normal, healthy body cells. Monoclonal antibodies are engineered to bind to specific proteins found on the surface of cancer cells. This targeting mechanism allows the treatment to focus on destroying cancerous cells without affecting the surrounding healthy tissues.

When the antibodies bind to the cancer cells, they can trigger various immune responses designed to eliminate those cells, such as marking them for destruction by the immune system. As a result, the normal body cells remain largely unaffected because they do not possess the same markers or proteins that the monoclonal antibodies recognize and target. This selective effect is a key benefit of using monoclonal antibodies compared to traditional chemotherapy treatments that can lead to widespread damage to both cancerous and healthy cells.