Monoclonal Antibodies as Enzymes - Abzymes - In recent years, considerable interest has been observed in the production of enzymes with specificities using techniques of enzyme engineering.

Another approach is the use of antibodies as enzymes that are described as abzymes. The antibodies may often bind specific ligands (haptens), but may not carry out chemical reactions. By modifying these ligands, antibodies may be generated that will catalyse specific reactions just like enzymes.

Production of these abzymes is based on the following two principles:

(i) enzymes work by binding the transition state of a reactant better than the ground state;