Monoclonal antibodies Flashcards
What are monoclonal antibodies?
a large number of identical antibodies
they are produced from hybridoma cells
they can carry chemical markers or treatments
they can be made to stick to any antigen on a cell
they only stick to one specific antigen
How are monoclonal antibodies made?
antigens from the pathogen are injected into a mouse
the mouse produces lymphocytes that produce antibodies that fight the pathogen
the lymphocytes are removed from the mouse
the lymphocytes can’t continue to divide once they start to produce antibodies
cancer cells are grown in a lab
they can divide continuously/for a long time
the lymphocytes are fused to the cancer cells
this creates a hybridoma cell
the hybridoma cell can divide and produce monoclonal antibodies that attack the pathogen
What can monoclonal antibodies be used for?
In pregnancy tests
In diagnoses of diseases (e.g. blood clots, cancer)
In treatment of diseases (e.g. cancer)
How are monoclonal antibodies used in pregnancy tests?
they are used to identify if the hormone produced during pregnancy is present in urine
monoclonal antibodies can be made to stick to any antigen on any cell
they are made to stick to the hormone produced in pregnancy
if the hormone is present, they cause a reaction with an indicator and a line appears on the test
there is also a control line
monoclonal antibodies are very sensitive and detect even the smallest amounts of the hormone
this means they can detect very early pregnancy
How are monoclonal antibodies used to find the position of blood clots in the body?
platelets can cause blood to clot
when they are activated a specific antigen appears on their surface
the monoclonal antibodies are made to stick to this antigen
blood clots can cause heart attacks or strokes
a fluorescent or radioactive marker is attached to the monoclonal antibodies
the antibodies are injected into the patient’s blood
they stick to the platelets within the body
a scan (e.g. MRI, PET) can be done to detect the radiation and find the location of the blood clots
the blood clots can then be removed/treated
How are monoclonal antibodies used to treat cancer?
the monoclonal antibodies are made to target (a specific antigen only found on) cancer cells
a drug that is used to treat/kill cancer is attached to them
they are injected into the patient
the monoclonal antibodies only attach to the cancer cells and deliver the drug to them, killing them
What shape are monoclonal antibodies?
Y shape
Why are monoclonal antibodies better than radiotherapy or chemotherapy for treating cancer?
they can be made to only target specific cells
this reduces the damage done to healthy cells, resulting in fewer side effects
radiotherapy and chemotherapy don’t target specific cells
they harm healthy cells as well, causing more side effects
Describe the advantages of using monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment compared to drug and radiotherapy treatments.
The cancer drug can be attached to a monoclonal antibody that only binds to cancer cells.
This means the drug is ‘delivered’ to the cells that need to be killed, so the drug has a reduced effect on healthy cells.
This means a lower dose of the drug is needed, and therefore fewer side effects.
Explain why monoclonal antibodies can bind to cancer cells but not other body cells.
Cancer cells carry antigens that are not found on healthy cells
monoclonal antibodies only bind to this antigen/one specific antigen
monoclonal antibodies cannot bind to healthy cells
Explain why hybridoma cells must be created in order to produce sufficient amounts of monoclonal antibodies.
lymphocytes produce antibodies
lymphocytes do not divide once they start to produce antibodies, so you can’t get a large number of cells that produce the antibodies
cancer cells divide but don’t produce antibodies
a fusion of the two cells produces hybridoma cells
hybridoma cells can divide to make more cells and produce monoclonal antibodies
