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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) I, II and III
All three statements are correct. Monoclonal antibodies are identical antibody proteins made in a laboratory, each locking on to one specific antigen, and one of them (m102.4) was kept ready in India to treat Nipah virus patients.
- ✓ I They are antibodies, which are proteins, produced in the laboratory (for example from hybridoma cells), not by the patient's own body.
- ✓ II Each one is designed to bind a single antigen with high precision, and that binding helps the immune system attack the target.
- ✓ III The monoclonal antibody m102.4 was procured by ICMR for Nipah cases, and a facility to administer it was set up in Kerala during the 2019 outbreak.
- • Since then WHO's fact sheet says there is no licensed specific treatment or vaccine for Nipah yet, so such antibodies are used on an emergency or experimental basis.
Remember · Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made, single-target antibody proteins; m102.4 is the one kept ready by ICMR against Nipah virus.
Sources
- A Comprehensive Review of Monoclonal Antibodies in Modern Medicine (NIH/PMC) ↗ “Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are laboratory-produced molecules engineered to mimic the immune system's ability to fight off harmful pathogens and diseased cells”
- Experiential learnings from the Nipah virus outbreaks in Kerala (ICMR authors, Indian J Med Res, via PMC) ↗ “monoclonal antibodies (m102.4) preparations and administrations in Nipah cases, if necessary.”
- WHO fact sheet: Nipah virus ↗ “There is currently no treatment or vaccine available for Nipah virus, however several candidate products are under development.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·