4.3.2.2 Uses of Monoclonal Antibodies Flashcards
1
Q
What hormone is found in a pregnant woman’s urine?
A
- HCG
2
Q
How does a pregnancy test work?
A
- the part of the stick that you wee on has antibodies with blue beads attached
- test strip has more antibodies on them to stop hormone moving
- if pregnant: hormone binds to antibodies on blue beads, urine moved up the stick and carries hormone and beads, beads get stuck on strip and turn blue
- if not pregnant: urine still moves up but blue beads have nothing to stick to
3
Q
How can monoclonal antibodies treat diseases?
A
- cancer cells have antigens on cell membrane called tumour markers
- in labs you can make monoclonal antibodies to bind to tumour markers
- anti-cancer drugs can be attached to monoclonal antibodies
- antibodies given through a drip and then target cancer cells because they will bind
- drug only kills cancer cells
4
Q
What are examples of anti-cancer drugs?
A
- radioactive substance
- toxic drug
- chemical which stop growth of cancer cells
5
Q
What are other uses of monoclonal antibodies?
A
- bind to hormones and other chemicals in blood to measure levels
- test blood samples in labs for certain pathogens
- locate specific molecules on a cell or in tissue
6
Q
How are monoclonal antibodies able to bind to hormones, test blood samples and locate specific molecules?
A
- monoclonal antibodies are made that will bind to specific molecules
- then monoclonal antibodies are bound to fluorescent dye
- if molecules present in sample, monoclonal antibodies will attach to them and can be detected with the dye
7
Q
What are advantages of monoclonal antibodies?
A
- cancer treatment
- side effects of an antibody-based drug are lower than for standard chemotherapy/radiotherapy
8
Q
What are the disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies?
A
- cause more side effects than expected (fever, low blood pressure, vomiting)
- not as widely used as treatments
