Monoclonal Antibodies Flashcards
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies produced by a single clone of a specific white blood cell.
What is the role of monoclonal antibodies?
They are specific to one binding site on one protein antigen, enabling them to target specific cells.
What can monoclonal antibodies target?
Monoclonal antibodies can bind to antigens on the surface of pathogens or cancer cells.
What antigen can monoclonal antibodies target?
For example, they can bind to the HIV antigen.
What else can monoclonal antibodies be used for?
They can also target antigens on the surface of cancer cells.
How are monoclonal antibodies made?
A mouse is injected with the antigen that the monoclonal antibody will be specific to.
What do white blood cells do when the mouse is injected?
White blood cells secrete antibodies with a complementary shape to the antigen.
What is done after spleen cells are extracted from the mouse?
Spleen cells, which produce lymphocytes, are extracted to obtain the white blood cells secreting the complementary antibody.
How are lymphocytes fused with myeloma cells?
The lymphocytes are fused with a myeloma (cancer) cell to form a hybridoma cell.
What is the advantage of hybridoma cells?
Hybridoma cells can divide rapidly and secrete the antibody.
What happens to the hybridoma cells?
The hybridoma cells are screened to ensure they produce the correct antibody.
How are cloned cells produced?
The hybridoma cell divides by mitosis to form a group of cloned cells producing the same antibody.
What is done with the antibody produced by hybridoma cells?
A large amount of the antibody is collected and purified.
What are monoclonal antibodies used for in pregnancy tests?
Monoclonal antibodies bind to HCG, a hormone found only in the urine of pregnant people, causing a colour change to indicate a positive result.
How do monoclonal antibodies help measure hormones or chemicals in blood?
Monoclonal antibodies are used to measure levels of hormones or chemicals in the blood by binding to specific substances.
How are monoclonal antibodies used to detect pathogens?
Monoclonal antibodies bind to specific pathogens like the HIV virus, helping to diagnose diseases like HIV/AIDS.
How can monoclonal antibodies be used to treat diseases?
They can be attached to cancer drugs, enabling the drug to target cancer cells specifically, minimising damage to healthy cells.
How are monoclonal antibodies used in research?
They can be attached to fluorescent dyes to visualise specific structures within cells, like using a monoclonal antibody to target liver cells.
What issue arose with monoclonal antibodies in medical trials?
Monoclonal antibodies often bind to other molecules, causing unwanted side effects like organ failure, as seen in a 2006 drug trial for arthritis and leukaemia.
What is a concern about the use of monoclonal antibodies?
The removal of spleen cells from the mouse involves harm to the animal
