Lecture 15 Flashcards
Which statement correctly defines monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)?
They are laboratory-made antibodies derived from a single clone of B-cells.
Monoclonal antibodies primarily recognize:
A specific epitope on an antigen.
Why are these antibodies termed “monoclonal”?
They originate from a single B-cell producing identical antibody molecules.
Monoclonal antibodies are typically derived from which immunoglobulin isotype?
IgG
Which of the following best describes the function of an antibody?
It identifies and neutralizes foreign objects like bacteria or viruses.
Monoclonal antibodies can be designed to:
Mimic the immune system’s ability to combat pathogens.
Monoclonal antibodies bind to antigens using their:
Paratope region.
Each antibody recognizes a unique target region on an antigen known as the:
Epitope
An IgG molecule typically contains how many peptide chains?
Four (2 heavy and 2 light)
Which part of an IgG molecule is responsible for antigen binding?
Fab region
The first ~110 amino acids of the heavy and light chains form the:
Variable regions (VH and VL)
Within each variable domain, the specific hypervariable sequences that bind antigen are
Complementarity-determining regions (CDRs)
Which statement accurately describes the constant region of an immunoglobulin?
It is responsible for effector recognition and binding (Fc function).
The light chain constant region is designated as:
CL
Which region of the heavy chain contributes to interactions with immune cells and complement?
CH regions (Fc portion)
Disulfide (S–S) bonds at the hinge region in an IgG molecule connect:
The two heavy chains
Which step involves immunizing an animal (such as a mouse) with a target antigen?
Immunization
After immunization, the B‐cells that produce the desired antibodies are typically isolated from the animal’s:
Spleen
To form hybridoma cells, B‐cells are fused with:
Myeloma cells
Hybridoma cells are cultured in selective media (often HAT medium) to:
Ensure only fused (hybridoma) cells survive
Which step involves identifying hybridoma clones that produce the desired monoclonal antibody?
Selection
The process of cloning selected hybridoma cells aims to:
Obtain a population of cells producing identical monoclonal antibodies
Large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies typically occurs in:
Bioreactors
Which of the following best describes the outcome of the hybridoma method?
Continuous, large-scale antibody production
Which monoclonal antibody suffix usually indicates a fully murine antibody?
−omab
Which mAb suffix denotes a chimeric antibody (approximately 65% human)?
−ximab
A “humanized” monoclonal antibody that is over 90% human typically ends with which suffix?
−zumab
Fully human mAbs (close to 100% human sequence) generally end with which suffix?
−umab
Which of the following mAbs has the highest potential for immunogenicity?
Fully murine (−omab)
Which of the following monoclonal antibodies is fully murine and used against CD20+ B cell lymphomas?
Tositumomab
Rituximab (−ximab) is classified as which type of monoclonal antibody?
Chimeric
Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is best described as:
Humanized mAb targeting HER2 in some breast cancers
Dupilumab (−umab) blocks interleukins 4 and 13 in allergic conditions. Its structure is:
Fully human mAb
Among murine (−omab), chimeric (−ximab), humanized (−zumab), and fully human (−umab) antibodies, which are least likely to trigger an immune response?
Fully human (−umab)
Which of the following best describes the scope of vaccines today?
They are used not only for infectious diseases but also in development for allergies, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Modern biotechnology’s contribution to vaccine development includes:
Identification of protective antigens and simpler production processes.
One major effect of modern biotech on vaccines is:
Increased effectiveness and safety
Which statement accurately reflects current vaccine target groups?
Vaccines are aimed at practically everyone on the planet, especially young children.
Due to modern biotech methods, vaccine production can be:
Simpler and cheaper for selected vaccine components
Therapeutic vaccines are being studied for which potential targets?
Certain cancers and allergies
Inactivated (or killed) vaccines are characterized by:
Pathogens that are treated to remove their ability to replicate.
Which of the following is an example of an inactivated vaccine?
Polio vaccine
A common drawback of inactivated vaccines is:
Loss of some antigenic epitopes due to inactivation processes
Because inactivated vaccines cannot replicate in vivo:
Higher doses or booster shots are often required
Which statement regarding cost implications of inactivated vaccines is accurate?
They can be more expensive due to the need for higher doses and additional boosters
Inactivated vaccines for cholera and typhoid fever work by:
Exposing the immune system to “killed” pathogens to build antibody responses
Live attenuated vaccines are produced by:
Weakening the pathogen via serial passage or deletion of virulence genes
An advantage of live attenuated vaccines is that
They replicate in the host, providing a strong and long-lasting immune response
Which is a potential drawback of live attenuated vaccines?
The possibility of reversion to a virulent form
Examples of live attenuated vaccines include:
Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), yellow fever, and BCG for tuberculosis
Genetic engineering can create attenuated pathogens by:
Deleting multiple virulence-related sections of the genome
A genetically attenuated oral cholera vaccine example is:
Vaxchora
A key requirement when designing live attenuated vaccines is that:
Protective epitopes remain immunogenic after attenuation
Subunit vaccines differ from whole-pathogen vaccines in that they:
Contain only pieces of the pathogen (e.g., proteins or polysaccharides) rather than the entire organism
Polysaccharide vaccines alone are generally not recommended for young children because:
They do not induce a robust immune response in children under two years of age
Conjugate vaccines attach a bacterial polysaccharide to a carrier protein so that:
The immune response becomes T-cell–dependent, improving memory in children
Which statement about polysaccharide vaccines is correct?
They elicit a weaker memory response compared to conjugate vaccines
Protein-based subunit vaccines primarily target:
Specific viral or bacterial proteins (e.g., surface antigens)
Recombinant subunit vaccines are produced by:
Using another organism (like yeast) to express and purify the antigenic protein
The primary immune response to a plain polysaccharide vaccine is typically:
T-cell–independent
Conjugate vaccines (e.g., Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal conjugate) are particularly important in pediatrics because:
They elicit a strong protective response and immunologic memory in young children
mRNA vaccines work by delivering:
A blueprint of mRNA that instructs our cells to produce a specific antigen
One key benefit of mRNA vaccines is that they:
Avoid inserting viral DNA into our genome
Which statement about the antigen in mRNA vaccines is accurate?
Cells temporarily produce the viral (or bacterial) protein encoded by the mRNA
mRNA vaccines are typically delivered in:
Lipid nanoparticles that protect the mRNA and facilitate cell entry
A potential limitation of current mRNA vaccine technology is:
The need for ultra-cold storage to preserve mRNA stability
mRNA vaccines stimulate immunity by:
Allowing host cells to present the vaccine-produced protein to immune cells
Therapeutic vaccines are primarily intended for individuals who:
Already have a disease or condition
Therapeutic vaccines function by:
Stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack the disease-causing agent
Which best describes the mechanism of therapeutic vaccines in Alzheimer’s disease (e.g., CAD106, ACC-001)?
They aim to induce an immune response against amyloid-beta plaques
One goal of therapeutic vaccines is to:
Slow down or control a disease’s progression
When a therapeutic vaccine is administered, it “teaches” the immune system to:
Recognize the disease-causing agent as foreign and mount an immune response
An immune response triggered by a therapeutic vaccine may include:
Production of antibodies and activation of immune cells against the specific target
