Catalytic antibodies: structure and function.

More than 10 years have now elapsed since the first reports confirmed that antibodies could be programmed as catalysts for chemical processes. Much of the initial research focussed on exploring the scope and utility of these new biocatalysts. Recently however, increasing information gleaned from X-ray analyses is allowing an exciting insight into the structural basis of antibody catalyzed reactions. This review details the evolving knowledge of the structure-function relationship for catalytic antibodies that accelerate a range of different reaction classes.