Summary of antibody workshop: The role of humoral immunity in the treatment and prevention of emerging and extant infectious diseases

In the era before antibiotics, human diseases were commonly treated with immune animal and human sera, often with life-saving results. With the advent of emerging infectious diseases, many of which cannot be adequately treated or prevented, attempts to develop antibody treatments have taken on new importance. The role of humoral immunity in treatment and prevention was the focus of discussion at a 1996 workshop. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of neutralization were examined in detail. It was noted that success in passive immunity has frequently been the key element in devising a successful strategy to develop a vaccine for active immunization. The workshop concluded on a cautious note of optimism that antibody-based treatment and prevention for diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus infection, Ebola fever, and others of clinical and public health importance deserve further development and clinical trial.