monoclonal antibodies

Question 1

monoclonal antibodies

Answer 1

antibodies produced from clones of a single type of cell that are specific to certain antigens

Question 2

describe how monoclonal antibodies are produced

Answer 2

1. mice are injected with the antigen we want the antibodies to be specific to
2. stimulates complementary B-lymphocytes which are extracted
3. fuse the lymphocytes with a tumour cell to form a hybridoma cell
4. identical hybridoma cells produce monoclonal antibodies
5. collect and purify the antibodies

Question 3

which substances can be attached onto monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 3

-radioactive material
-drugs
-fluorescent proteins

Question 4

what hormone is found in the urine of pregnant women?

Answer 4

HCG

Question 5

describe how pregnancy test are set up using mAbs

Answer 5

1. stick you wee on has some monoclonal antibodies with blue beads attached that are free to move
2. test strip that turns blue if pregnant has more antibodies to the hormone stuck on it so they can’t move

Question 6

describe what happens when you’re pregnant and wee on the stick

Answer 6

1. hormone (HCG) binds to the mAbs on the blue beads
2. urine diffuses up the stick carrying hormone and beads
3. beads and hormone bind to the antibodies on the strip
4. so blue bead get stuck on strip and turns it blue

Question 7

describe what happens when you’re not pregnant and wee on the stick

Answer 7

1. urine still moves up the stick carrying the blue beads
2. nothing to stick to the blue beads so it doesn’t go blue

Question 8

why aren’t mAbs as widely used as originally expected?

Answer 8

cause more side effects than thought

Question 9

side effects of mAbs

Answer 9

fever, vomiting, low blood pressure

Question 10

advantages of mAbs

Answer 10

-many uses
-don’t kill healthy cells in cancer treatment so less side effects

Question 11

how can mAbs locate specific pathogens/substances

Answer 11

-mAbs made that will bind to specific molecule you are looking for
-mAbs are bound to fluorescent dye
-if the molecules are present, the mAbs will attach to them
-detected using dye under microscope

Question 12

describe how mAbs can be used to treat cancer

Answer 12

1. cancer cells have antigens on their cell membranes that aren’t found on normal body cells, called tumour markers
2. make mAbs that will bind to tumour markers
3. anti-cancer drug attached to the mAbs e.g radioactive substance/toxic drug that stops cancer cells growing/dividing
4. given to patient through a drip and enters bloodstream
5. target specific cancer cells as they only bind to tumour markers
6. drug kills cancer cells but doesn’t kill any normal body cells

Question 13

why are they fused with tumour cells?

Answer 13

they divide rapidly and makes the antibody

Question 14

state 6 uses of mAbs

Answer 14

-detection of pathogens
-location of specific molecules
-treatment of cancer
-pregnancy tests
-diagnosis
-measure levels of hormones and chemicals in blood

Question 15

advantages of using mAbs to test for pathogens

Answer 15

-specific to one antigen
-very accurate
-quick results

Question 16

why can mAbs be used to target cancer cells?

Answer 16

-cancer cells have specific antigens called tumour markers on their membranes
-mAbs targeted to one specific antigen so can be targeted to tumour markers without damaging other cells

Question 17

how can mAbs be used to diagnose cancer?

Answer 17

-mAbs tagged onto radioactive substance
-mAbs injected into bloodstream
-mAbs bind to tumour markers
-emitted radiation is detected using a specialised scanner enabling doctors to determine location of cells

Question 18

why are cancer treatments involving mAbs favoured compared to traditional methods?

Answer 18

-mAbs only target cancer cells so don’t damage normal cells
-unlike other methods which damage healthy cells

Question 19

how can mAbs be used to locate blood clots?

Answer 19

-mAbs tagged to a radioactive substance
-mAbs target and bind to specific proteins in blood clots
-radiation emitted by mAbs is detected, enabling location of blood clots to be identified