Rituximab
Definition
Rituximab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to CD20, a protein found on the surface of normal and malignant B cells and is used to reduce the numbers of circulating B cells in patients who have B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Rituximab is sold as Rituxan in the United States.
Purpose
Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody used to treat NHL characterized by overgrowth of B cells, the cell involved in about 85% of NHL malignancies. Of all the B-cell cancers more than 90% express the CD20 protein on the cell surface, a requirement for the proper function of rituximab. By binding the CD20 protein on the B cell, the antibody targets it for removal from the circulation. Based on...
[The entire page is 1510 words long]
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