Monoclonal antibodies and Nipah virus
Previous Year Questions: This question has been asked in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2025 – Prelims – General Studies Paper I, held on Sunday, 25 May 2025.
Question: With reference to monoclonal antibodies, often mentioned in news, consider the following statements:
I. They are man-made proteins.
II. They stimulate immunological function due to their ability to bind to specific antigens.
III. They are used in treating viral infections like that of Nipah virus.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
प्रश्न: प्रायः समाचारों में चर्चित, एक्क्लोनी प्रतिरक्षियों (मोनोक्लोनल एंटीबॉडी) के सन्दर्भ में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए:
I. वे मानव निर्मित प्रोटीन हैं।
II. वे विशिष्ट प्रतिजनों (एंटीजेन) से बंधने की अपनी क्षमता के कारण प्रतिरक्षात्मक प्रकार्य को उद्दीपित करते हैं।
III. वे निपा विषाणु के संक्रमण जैसे विषाणु संक्रमणों के उपचार में प्रयुक्त होते हैं।
उपर्युक्त कथनों में कौन-कौन से सही है?
(a) केवल I और II
(b) केवल II और III
(c) केवल I और III
(d) I, II और III
Topic: Science and Technology – Biotechnology
Explanation:
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are artificial proteins that mimic the body’s natural defences and represent an important medical innovation in modern medicine. They are of proven efficacy in various therapeutic areas such as cancer, immune diseases and infectious diseases, and have become the standard of care for several medical conditions in high-income countries, demonstrating improved outcomes over legacy treatments.
Monoclonal antibodies are man-made proteins that act like human antibodies in the immune system.
Naked mAbs are antibodies that have no drug or radioactive material attached to them. They work by themselves. These are the most common type of mAbs used to treat cancer. Most naked mAbs attach to antigens on cancer cells, but some work by binding to antigens on other, non-cancerous cells, or even free-floating proteins.
This was in news in July 2025.
Nipah monoclonal antibody trials may begin in India in 2025: If the Indian drug regulator greenlights it, a human clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of a novel Nipah monoclonal antibody MBP1F5, which might offer immediate protection to people at risk of infection against the deadly disease, might begin next year. A similar trial will be carried out in Bangladesh as well. Though trials on many vaccines are currently under way, there is no approved vaccine against the Nipah virus anywhere in the world. The Nipah virus has a 40% to 75% mortality rate in people who are infected.
Hence, all three statements are correct.
Also check press release by PIB on 16 July 2024.
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2033656
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the role played by THSTI in developing Nipah monoclonal antibodies.
