Term: catalytic antibody
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08152

Definition:
Monoclonal antibody with enzymatic activity.

Notes:
1) A catalytic antibody acts by binding its antigen and catalyzing a chemical reaction that converts the antigen into desired products. Despite the existence of natural catalytic antibodies, most of them were specifically designed to catalyze desired chemical reactions.
2) Catalytic antibodies are produced through immunization against a transition-state analogue for the reaction of interest. The resulting antibodies bind strongly and specifically the transition-state analogue, so that they become catalysts for the desired reaction.
3) The concept of catalytic antibodies and the strategy for obtaining them were advanced by W. P. Jencks. The first catalytic antibodies were finally produced in 1986.

Source: PAC, 2022, 94, 353. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 380 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2018-1010)

Citation: 'catalytic antibody' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08152

License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.

Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.