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. 2022 May 18;14(1):2075078. doi: 10.1080/19420862.2022.2075078

Table 3.

Definitions of chimeric and humanized antibody

  Year Definition
Chimeric 2009 A chimeric antibody is one that contains contiguous foreign-derived amino acids comprising the entire variable domain of both heavy and light chains linked to heavy and light constant regions of human origin.
2011 A chimeric antibody is one of which both chain types are chimeric as a result of antibody engineering. A chimeric chain is a chain that contains a foreign variable domain (V-D-J-REGION) (originating from one species other than human, or synthetic) linked to a constant region (C-REGION) of human origin.
2014 A chimeric antibody is one for which both chain types are chimeric as a result of antibody engineering. A chimeric chain is a chain that contains a foreign variable domain (originating from one species other than human, or synthetic or engineered from any species including human) linked to a constant region of human origin. The variable domain of a chimeric chain has a V region amino acid sequence which, analyzed as a whole, is closer to non-human species than to human.
Humanized 2009 A humanized antibody has segments of foreign-derived amino acids interspersed among variable domain segments of human-derived amino acid residues and the humanized variable heavy and variable light domains are linked to heavy and light constant regions of human origin.
2011 A humanized antibody is one of which both chain types are humanized as a result of antibody engineering. A humanized chain is a chain in which the complementarity determining regions (CDR) of the variable domains are foreign (originating from one species other than human, or synthetic) whereas the remaining chain is of human origin. By extension an antibody is described as humanized if more recent protocols were used for the humanization.
2014 A humanized antibody is one for which both chain types are humanized as a result of antibody engineering. A humanized chain is typically a chain in which the complementarity determining regions (CDR) of the variable domains are foreign (originating from one species other than human, or synthetic) whereas the remainder of the chain is of human origin. Humanization assessment is based on the resulting amino acid sequence, and not on the methodology per se, which allows protocols other than grafting to be used. The variable domain of a humanized chain has a V region amino acid sequence which, analyzed as a whole, is closer to human than to other species.