B6 - Preventing and Treating Disease

Question 1

What are hybridoma cells?

Answer 1

Cells that are made from a combination of tumor cells and body cells from humans or mice

Question 2

What are monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 2

Antibodies designed to target particular cells or chemicals that are refined from hybridomas. They are produced by mixing lymphocytes and tumour cells and then refining the antibodies from the hybridoma products

Question 3

Why are tumour cells combined to make the hybridomas?

Answer 3

As they reproduce rapidly - allowing widespread coverage and supply of the antibodies throughout the body

Question 4

Why have scientists started trying to combine the mice cells with human cells?

Answer 4

To stop the body from rejecting the antibodies and seeing them as foreign

Question 5

How are monoclonal antibodies made?

Answer 5

First, lymphocytes are removed from mice and humans and combined with tumour cells. This makes a hybridoma cell that rapidly divides and creates lots of antibodies. These antibodies are then separated and purified

Question 6

Why are monoclonal antibodies so useful?

Answer 6

As they can only bond to one type of antigen and so scientists and investigators can easily see where there are build ups of a substance and whether they are present at all

Question 7

Give 2 uses of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 7

Pregnancy tests - the antibodies bind to the hormone released when a woman is pregnant to produce a colour change / disease diagnosis - they can bind to specific antigens, allowing doctors to see what pathogens are present, and tracers allow them to see where build-ups are / to measure the levels of hormones in the blood

Question 8

Give the 3 ways in which monoclonal antibodies are being used to tackle cancer cells

Answer 8

They are used to make the body recognise and actively fight cancerous cells / they can be used to carry radioactive pieces and harsh chemicals to the cancers in order to destroy them / they can be used to block receptors on the cancers so they cannot multiply and grow

Question 9

Give 2 advantages of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 9

They only target the problem, and will let the rest of the body continue as normal - unlike conventional drug treatments / the specific nature of the antibodies can be used to treat a wide range of diseases / they will become cheaper to use in the future

Question 10

Give 2 disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 10

They are currently expensive to develop / they are difficult to attach to drugs and other compounds