{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.017210944395410415, 'fraction_numerical': 0.00529567519858782, 'mean_word_length': 5.747023809523809, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 1, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Antibodies as leading tools to unlock the therapeutic potential in human disease

This article introduces a series of reviews covering Immunoglobulins: from genes to therapies appearing in Volume 270 of Immunological Reviews. A plethora of major discoveries over the last century has significantly advanced our knowledge of antibodies and B lymphocyte lineage biology. Both scientific breakthroughs and technological revolutions have advanced the field from the ‘magic bullet’ concept developed by Paul Ehrlich to biopharmaceutical applications that save and improve the lives of millions of patients today. The discovery of B-cell/T-cell divergence, the ability to immortalize antibody-producing cells through hybridoma technology, the elucidation of the molecular structure of antibodies, and the ability to generate, express, and engineer these proteins have all contributed to the therapeutic revolution. Over the last four decades, progress made through unprecedented collaborations between the academic community and industry has enabled translation of antibodies into the most versatile large molecule therapeutic platform currently known. We now have a detailed map of immunoglobulin gene composition in numerous species and understand the processes that drive their recombination and shape them further through somatic mutations and isotype switching. The signals and processes involved in normal B lymphocyte and plasma cell biology in rodents and humans are being mapped in detail. In parallel, therapeutic applications of antibodies and antibody scaffold-based molecules are making their way forward in major human disease areas, from inflammation, infectious diseases, and oncology to metabolic diseases and neuroscience. This volume of Immunological Reviews: ‘Immunoglobulins: from genes to therapies’ summarizes recent contributions to the field. It spans progress in our understanding of B-cell lineage and antibody functions in humans, to advanced antibody engineering that has improved the therapeutic properties of antibodies as human medicines. The selection of topics and contributors is far from comprehensive, but attempts to provide a diversity of areas that continue to energize and expand the field. Immunological Reviews 2016 Vol. 270: 5–7