Monoclonal antibodies (3.2) (M)

Question 1

What are monoclonal antibodies produced from?

Answer 1

a single clone of cells

Question 2

How do monoclonal antibodies work?

Answer 2

The antibodies are specific to one binding site on one protein antigen and so are able to target (and kill) a specific chemical or specific cells in the body

Question 3

5 points

What are the stages to producing monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 3

• Stimulate mouse lymphocytes to make a particular antibody (by injecting mice with pathogen/antigen)
• The lymphocytes are combined with a particular kind of tumour cell to make a cell called a hybridoma cell.
• The hybridoma cell can both divide quickly and make the antibody.
• Single hybridoma cells are cloned to produce many identical cells that all produce the same antibody
• A large amount of the antibody can be collected and purified

Question 4

4 needed

What are the uses of monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 4

• for diagnosis such as in pregnancy tests
• in laboratories to measure the levels of hormones and other chemicals in blood, or to detect pathogens
• in research to locate or identify specific molecules in a cell or tissue
• to treat some diseases (e.g. cancer)

Question 5

How are monoclonal antibodies used to locate or identify specific molecules in a cell or tissue?

Answer 5

by binding to them with a fluorescent dye

Question 6

How are monoclonal antibodies used to kill cancers?

Answer 6

For cancer, the monoclonal antibody can bind to a radioactive substance, toxic drug or chemical which stops cells growing and dividing.

It delivers the substance to the cancer cells without harming other cells in the body.

Question 7

Why are monoclonal antibodies not yet as widely used as everyone hoped when they were first developed?

Answer 7

They create more side effects than expected

Question 8

3 marks

How could mAbs with a fluorescent dye be used to see pathogens on a slide?

Answer 8

Bind fluorescent dye to mAbs

put fluorescent mAbs on slide

mAbs will bind to pathogens and show up under microscope

Question 9

Why might mAbs made from human lymphocytes be more successful than those made from mouse lymphocytes?

Answer 9

The body will not reject the monoclonal antibodies

Question 10

2 marks- 3 you could give

How would injecting a monoclonal antibody for a virus help treat a person suffering from disease?

Answer 10

(monoclonal) antibody binds to virus or antibody binds to antigen on surface of virus
(monoclonal) antibody is complementary (in shape) / specific to antigen (on surface of virus)

white blood cells / phagocytes kill / engulf the virus(es)

Question 11

Describe the process of rejection

Answer 11

The immune system produces antibodies, which attack the antigens (on the transplanted organ)