Abstract
The history of antibody development is one of a breakthrough discovery, followed by repeated refinements. The discovery occurred in 1887 when Sewall reported that pigeons could be immunized with preventive inoculation of rattlesnake venom. It took another 100 years, however, for Sewall’s discovery to evolve into a safe and effective treatment for humans. Curiously, Sewall did not extend his work into the realm of therapeutics. Fortunately, Calmette reported in 1894 that an animal could be protected against envenomation with the serum of another animal which had been immunized to the venom. The concept of serotherapy was thus born and the rush to produce new serotherapies was on. These pioneering investigators did not realize that their therapy involved a blood component we now term the antibody, nor that the foundation of their treatment was based on a highly specific interaction called antigen-antibody binding. Indeed, Calmette initially claimed that his cobra antiserum would cure the bite of all snakes ! But every new discovery produces misconceptions, which are corrected as further research emerges. In the case of serotherapy, Brazil (1901) soon demonstrated that Calmette’s antiserum did not protect against Crotalus durissus terrificus. In 1900, Erlich proposed the concept of antibodies. Although his depiction was somewhat inaccurate, he made it possible to conceive how an antiserum could protect the recipient. His theoretical construct was needed as a basis for further research.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aeberhard P, Butler VP, Smith TW (1980) Traitement d’une intoxication digitalique massive (20 mg de digitoxine) par les anticorps antidigoxine fractionnes (Fab). Arch Mai Coeur 12: 1471–1478
Antman EM, Wenger TL, Butler VP, Haber E, Smith TW (1990) Treatment of 150 cases of life-threatening digitalis intoxication with digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments. Ciruclation 81: 1744–1752
Baud FJ, Sabouraud A, Vicaut E, Taboulet P, Lang J, Bismuth Ch, Rouzioux JM, Scherrmann JM (1995) Treatment of severe colchicine overdose with colchicine- specific Fab fragments. N Engl J Med 332 10: 642–645
Brazil V (1901) Contribucao ao estudo de venemo phidico. HL Tratamentos das mordeduras das cobras. Rev Med Sao Paulo 4: 375–380
Brunn GJ, Keyler DE, Pond SM, Pentel PR (1992) Reversal of desipramine toxicity in rats using drug-specific antibody Fab’Fragment: effects on hypotension and interaction with sodium bicarbonate. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 260 3: 1392–1399
Butler VP Jr, Chen JP (1967) Digoxin specific antibodies. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 57:71–78
Butler VP Jr, Schmidt DH, Smith TW (1973) Effect of Fab fragments of sheep antidigoxin antibody (Dig Ab) on serum concentrations and urinary excretion of digoxin (dig) Circulation:Suppl 4: 139
Calmette A (1908) Venoms, venomous animals and serotherapy. Paris, Masson
Curd J, Smith TW, Jaton JC et al (1971) The isolation of digoxin specific antibodies and its use in reversing the effects of digoxin. Proc Nat Acad Sci, USA 68: 2401–2406
Dart RC (1994) Antibodies as therapeutic agents: the antivenoms. The 5th World Congress of the World Federation of Associations of Clinical Toxicology Centers & Poison Control Centers. November 8–11 Taipei, Taiwan
Edmond-Rouan SK, Otterness IG, Cunningham AC et al (1990) Reversal of colchicine- induced mitotic arrest in Chinese hamster cells with a colchicine-specific monoclonal antibody. Am J Pathol 137: 779–787
Egen N, Russell FE, Consroe P, Gerrish K (1994) A new ovine antivenom for north - american venomous snakes. Vet Human Toxicol 36: 362
Erlich P (1900) On immunity with special reference to cell life. Proc Royal Soc London 66: 424–448
Fink MP (1993) Adoptive immunotherapy of gram-negative sepsis: use of monoclonal antibodies to lipopolysaccharide. Crit Care Med 21 (suppl l): 32–39
Hess T, Stucki P, Baraudun J, Sholttsik G, Roesen W (1979) Treatment of a case of lanatoside intoxication with digoxin specific Fab antibody fragments. Am Heart J 98: 767–771
Hickey AR, Wenger TL, Carpenter VP et al. (1991) Digoxin immune Fab therapy in the management of digitalis intoxiation: Safety and efficacy results of an observational surveillance study. J Am Coll Cardio 17: 590–598
Karlson-Stiber C, H. Persson (1994a) Antivenom treatment in Vipera berus envenoming.Report of 30 cases. Journal of Internal Medicine 235: 57–61
Karlson-Stiber C, Persson H, Heath A, Smith D, Al Abdullah I (1994 b) Specific sheep Fab fragments in the treatment of vipera berus envenoming. Report of a multicentre study. The 5th World Congress of the World Federation of Associations of Clinical Toxicology Centers & Poison Control Centers. November 8–11 Taipei, Taiwan
Dart RC (1994) Antibodies as therapeutic agents: the antivenoms. The 5th World Congress of the World Federation of Associations of Clinical Toxicology Centers & Poison Control Centers. November 8–11 Taipei, Taiwan
Ochs HR, Smith TW (1997) Reversal of advanced digitoxin toxicity and modification of pharmacokinetics by specific antibodies and Fab fragments. J Clin Invest 60: 1303–1313
Pentel PR (1995) Immunotherapy for tricyclic antidepressant overdose: human implications. Congress International Union of Toxicology - Horizion in Toxicology: preparing for the 21st Century - Seattle 2–6 July 1995
Pentel PR, Ross CA, Landon J, Sidki A, Shelver WL, Keyler DE (1993) Reversal of desipramine toxicity in rats with polyclonal drug-specific antibody Fab fragments. J Lab Clin Med 123 3: 387–393
Scherrmann JM (1994) Antibody treatment of toxin poisoning. Recent advances. Clinical Toxicology 32 (4): 363–375
Scherrmann JM, Terrien N, Urtizberea M, Pierson P, Denis H, Bourre JM (1989a) Immunotoxicotherapy: present status and future trends. Clinical Toxicology 27 (1&2): 1–35
Scherrmami JM, Urtizberea M, Pierson P et al (1989b) The effect of colchicine-specific active immunization on colchicine toxicity and disposition in the rabbit. Toxicology 59: 213–222
Schmidt DH, Butler VP Jr (1971a) Immunological protection against digoxin toxicity. J Clin Invest 50: 866–871
Schmidt DH, Butler VP Jr (1971b) Reversal of digoxin toxicity with specific antibodies. J Clin Invest 50: 1738–1744
Sewall H (1887) Experiments on the preventive inoculation of rattlesnake venom. J Physiol Lond 1887 8: 203–210
Smith TW (1970) Radio immuno assay for serum digitoxin concentrations. Methodology and clinical experience. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 175: 352–360
Smith TW (1988) Digitalis. Mechanisms of action and clinical use. N Engl J Med 6:358–365
Smith TW, Butler VP Jr, Haber E (1969) Determination of therapeutic and toxic serum digoxin concentration by radio immuno assay. N Engl J Med 281: 1212–1216
Smith TW, Butler VP Jr, Haber E (1970) Characterization of antibodies of high affinity and specificity for the digitalis glycoside digoxin. Biochemistry 9: 331–337
Smith TW, Haber E, Yeatmen L, Butler VP Jr (1976) Reversal of advanced digoxin intoxication with fab fragments of digoxin specific antibodies. N Engl J Med 294:797–800
Taboulet P, Baud FJ, Bismuth Ch (1993) Clinical features and management of digitalis poisoning. Rationale for immunotherapy. Clinical Toxicology 31 (2): 247–260
Terrien N, Urtizberea M, Scherrmann JM (1988) Immuno-toxicotherapy for colchicine poisoning: Toxicological and pharmacological features of an experimental model simulating human poisoning. Arch Toxicol Suppl 12: 322–325
Terrien N, Urtizberea M, Scherrmann JM (1989) Influence of goat colchicine-specific antibodies on murine colchicine disposition. Toxicology 59: 11–22
Terrien N, Urtizberea M, Scherrmann JM (1990) Reversal of advanced colchicine toxicity in mice with goat colchicine-specific antibodies. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 104: 504–510
Warren HS, Danner RL, Munford RS. (1992) Anti-endotoxin monoclonal antibodies. N Engl J Med 326:1, 153–1, 157
Wolf J, Capraro HG, Brossi A et al (1980) Colchicine binding to antibodies. J Biol Chem 255: 7144–7149
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bismuth, C., Baud, F.J., Borron, S.W., Scherrmann, J.M. (1996). Antibodies Proposed as Therapeutic Agents. In: Seiler, J.P., Kroftová, O., Eybl, V. (eds) Toxicology - From Cells to Man. Archives of Toxicology, vol 18. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61105-6_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61105-6_30
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64696-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-61105-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive