Lecture 5 - mAbs Flashcards
Which cell type produces Ig and is used in the lab as an ‘Ig producing factory’?
Plasma cells
What is a monoclonal antibody?
A population of Ab’s from a single B cell clone
i.e., they all have the same specificity
What factors give mAbs great therapeutic potential?
- Well tolerated (come from us)
- Very high specificity
- Long-lived
What is the half-life of Ab?
Several weeks
Which types of diseases are mAbs mainly used for at the moment?
- Malignancies
* Auto-immune conditions
What are ‘The Big 5’ mAbs?
- Adalimumab (Anti-TNF)
- Infliximab (Anti-TNF)
- Trastizumab (Anti-HER2)
- Bevacizumab (Anti-VEGFA)
- Rituximab (Anti-CD20)
What is the name of Anti-TNF?
Remicade (Infliximab)
Humira (Adalimumab)
What is the name for Anti-CD20?
Rituximab
What is the name for Anti-VEGFA?
Avastin / Bevacizumab
What is the name for Anti-HER2?
Herceptin / Trastuzumab
What recognition did the researchers who came up with mAbs receive?
Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1984
Describe the process of harvesting mAbs from mice
- Mice spleen cells + myeloma cells
- Fusion
- Hybridomas
- Culture in drug
- Selection of positive cells
- Harvest of mAbs
What are the shortcomings of mAbs from mice?
- They are recognised as foreign and thus have a short half life
- The ‘mice’ constant region means that they are lacking some effector functions
Describe ‘Humanisation’ of mice mAb
- CDR grafting in vitro
• Mouse variable region grafted onto human constant region
• Ig are fully human apart from the CDRs
• Longer half life in serum (than fully mouse)
2. Transgenic mice • Have human Ig genes • Challenge mice with antigen • Mice produce human Ig • Very good half life
- Harvesting from humans
• Harvest B cells from immune individual
• Fuse with EBV to immortalise cells
• Screening to select for the desired specificity
• Ig isolation
How good are humanised mAbs raised in vitro?
Still fairly crude
Describe mAbs raised in transgenic mice
Transgenic mice:
• have human Ig genes (C or V & C)
These mAbs are really good because they contain barely any mice parts
Describe mAb generation from humans
- Infected human with high affinity, IgG
- Memory cells collected
- Immortalisation: Memory cells infected with EBV
- Screening
- mAbs harvesting
What are the advantages and disadvantages of mAbs from infected humans?
Pros:
• not rejected by patients
• mAbs have specificity that was effective at clearing the infection
Cons:
• Specificities limited to foreign immunogens
What are human mAbs most often used for?
Passive immunisation
What are the pros of passive immunisation?
Useful when a very quick immune response is needed (HIV, SARS, influenza)
What is ‘naked mAb’ useful for?
ADCC: Antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity
CDC: cell dependent cytotoxicity
What are some ways we can ‘arm’ mAbs?
Multistep targeting: • Bispecific mAb Immunoconjugates: • Radioimmunoconjugate • Immunocytokine • Immunotoxin • Immunoliposome • Cellular immunoconjugates
Describe Radioimmunoconjugates
Radioactive substance conjugates to a mAb which is specific for a tumour cell
Describe Immunocytokines
Cytokine conjugated to a mAb specific for a tumour cell