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Also: Immunoglobulins. Antibodies are proteins produced by a type of white blood cell (B-cells or B-lymphocytes). These proteins bind to foreign materials (antigens)in our body and aid in their elimination. Cancer cells may sometimes express proteins on their surface that may be targets for antibodies. Our bodies contain thousands of different antibodies, produced by different groups of B-cells.
Monoclonal antibodies are those that are all derived from a single type of B cell. Monoclonal antibodies are currently being used as anti-cancer drugs. An example of a monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of cancer is Herceptin.. This antibody is directed against a protein that is present at very high levels on the surface of some cancers, including some breast and ovarian cancers.
The attachment of drugs to monoclonal antibodies allows for the specific delivery of the drugs to the cells bearing the correct receptor. This is a way of delivering drugs specifically to tumor cells. The modified antibodies are called conjugated monoclonal antibodies

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