Monoclonal antibodies, shown here binding to a cell, are monospecific antibodies (these are antibodies that have an affinity for the same antigen) - mAB or moAb, as they are abbreviated, are the same because they are created by identical immune cells that are clones of a unique parent cell. Monoclonal antibodies are created to specifically bind to a substance so they can detect or purify that particular substance. In medications the non-proprietary drug name ends in -mab. Typically, monoclonal antibodies are produced by fusing myeloma cells with the spleen cells from a mouse and recently, as a result of advances, from rabbit B-cells. Monoclonals can be used as therapies for various serious diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and different cancers.