Tactical Approaches to Catalytic Antibodies

In this chapter, we describe some of the general strategies implemented by the experimenter to challenge the immune system for the production of antibodies that act as catalysts. Some representative strategies include the use of haptens that are transition state analogues, the “bait and switch” strategy and the concept of “reactive immunisation”. These protocols have allowed the preparation of catalytic antibodies for various synthetic transformations including reactions for which there is no enzymatic catalyst available. In addition to its value for synthesis, this area of research provides an opportunity to better understand the rules of enzyme catalysis.