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UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1, question 48

Topic: Science and technology

Q48

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?

  1. (a) I and II only
  2. (b) II and III only
  3. (c) I and III only
  4. (d) I, II and IIICorrect answer

Solution.

Answer: (d) I, II and III

  1. Statement I is correct: monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are laboratory-engineered (man-made) proteins cloned from a single parent immune cell.
  2. Statement II is correct: they mimic natural antibodies and modulate or stimulate immunological responses by binding with high specificity to target epitopes on a single antigen.
  3. Statement III is correct: the human monoclonal antibody m102.4 has been used on a compassionate basis and in clinical trials to neutralize the Nipah virus glycoprotein.