Monoclonal Antibodies

Question 1

What are monoclonal antibodies in terms of treatment?

Answer 1

A form of medical treatment that relies on the immune system.

Question 2

What are monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 2

Proteins which all come from one cell.

Question 3

Where can antibodies be found naturally?

Answer 3

In WBC’s, but they don’t divide.

Question 4

What is the process of making antibodies?

Answer 4

• Lymphocytes are stimulated (from a mouse) to make a particular antibody.
• A lymphocyte is combined with a tumour cell to make a hybridoma.
• Single hybridoma cells divide to make a large number of identical cells that produce the same antibodies.
• The monoclonal antibodies are purified.

Question 5

What are some of the uses of monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 5

• Pregnancy tests rely on them to bind to a hormone.
• They are used to diagnose a disease. Antibodies can bind to a specific antigen on a pathogen or a cancer cell.
• They are used to measure hormone levels and other chemicals for diagnosis.
• They are used to treat diseases.

Question 6

How can monoclonal antibodies be used to treat disease?

Answer 6

• They can target a specific antigen.
• They can carry radioactive substances.
• They can trigger the destruction of cancer cells.
• They can block receptors on cancer cells to stop them from dividing.

Question 7

What is the main advantage of monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 7

-They can target specific diseased cells without damaging healthy cells.

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 8

• They have side effects - humans cells in hybridomas may reduce these.
• They are expensive to produce