Monoclonal Antibodies

Question 1

How are monoclonal antibodies made?

Answer 1

An antigen is injected into a mouse

The mouse naturally produces lymphocytes, which produce antibodies specific to the antigen

Spleen cells which produce the lymphocytes are removed during a small operation

The spleen cells are fused with human cancerous white blood cells called myeloma cells to form hybridoma cells which divide indefinitely

These hybridoma cells divide and produce millions of monoclonal antibodies specific to the original antigen