Final answer:
Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that targets CD20 on B-cells for destruction through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and is used in cancer therapy. It faces challenges such as immunogenicity and stability, leading to research on smaller, less immunogenic antibody fragments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody used to treat several malignant diseases. It exerts its effect by binding to CD20, a cell surface protein primarily found on B-cells, and targeting malignant cell destruction by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), among other mechanisms. This process involves the recruitment of immune cells that can kill the targeted B-cells, aiding in the elimination of cancerous cells. Monoclonal antibodies like rituximab are promising tools for targeted cancer therapies due to their ability to specifically bind to and mark malignant cells for the immune system to target and destroy.
While rituximab has been successful in treating cancers, it also poses challenges such as large size and immunogenicity which can lead to rapid clearance from the body and stability issues during manufacturing. Efforts to optimize these macromolecules for clinical use focus on engineering antibody fragments to maintain specificity while reducing size and immunogenicity.