Cells (cell recognition + immune system) - active & passive immunity, use of monoclonal antibodies + ELISA test Flashcards
1
Q
Describe active immunity
A
- AKA vaccination
- Vaccines contain dead/weakened pathogens
- These do not cause disease but do contain the antigens necessary to illicit a primary immune response
- If the person later becomes infected by the live pathogen then the secondary response will occur
2
Q
Describe the two types of passive immunity
A
- Occurs naturally (e.g a mother -> baby)
- Artificial (injecting antibodies)
3
Q
Describe artificial passive immunity
A
- Used when someone has already been infected (or likely to become affected) with a pathogen
- Antibodies extracted from the blood plasma of an infected person
- The antibodies assist the body’s normal immune response
- Doesn’t itself lead to any long-term immunity (short-term - memory cells not produced as primary response hasn’t happened)
4
Q
Why & how are monoclonal antibodies involved in targeting drugs?
A
- Monoclonal antibodies have the same unique tertiary structure
- So they will bind to a specific antigen with a complementary shape
- Therefore, you can make monoclonal antibodies bind to a specific target molecule e.g a cell antigen
- Get monoclonal antibodies from mice
5
Q
Describe how monoclonal antibodies can be used in cancer treatment
A
- Antibodies bind to tumour markers (unique antigens on cancer cells)
- Anti-cancer drugs can be attached to antibodies so drugs will only be released where antibody binding occurs i.e at cancer cells
- It reduces side effects as drugs will only accumulate at specific cells
6
Q
What does ELISA test stand for?
A
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay
7
Q
Describe the ELISA test
A
- Uses antibodies to detect presence + quality of a protein (antigens)
- Very sensitive so can detect smallest amounts of protein
- Can be used to not just detect HIV but also hepatitis + tuberculosis
- Can also be useful detecting amounts of drugs in a person
- Blood samples taken to do this test
