Topic 3 Monoclonal antibodies + Flashcards
What are antibodies produced by
B- lymphocytes
A type of white blood cell
Will monoclonal antibodies target all antigens
No because they are clones of a single white blood cell , they are all identical and will only target one specific antigen
Do lymphocytes divide easily
No
Do tumour cells produce antibodies?
Don’t produce antibodies but can divide and be grown really easily
What is a a mouse B lymphocyte fused with a tumour cell called
Hybridoma
What do hybridoma cells make
Cloned to get lots of identical cells that all produce the same antibodies (monoclonal antibodies)
Antibodies can be collected and purified
Why are monoclonal antibodies useful
Bind to anything you want e.g. a specific cell
Will only bind to the target molecule
What hormone is only found in pregnant woman’s urine
HCG
How do pregnancy tests work
The part of the stick you wee on has some antibodies to the hormone with blue beads attached
The test strip has more antibodies to the hormone stuck into it so they can’t mover
How do you get a positive pregnancy test result
The hormone hcg binds to the antibodies on the blue beads
The urine moves up the stick, carrying the hormone and the beads
The beads and the hormone bind to the antibodies on the strip
The blue needs get stuck on the strip Turing it blue
How do you get a negative pregnancy result
The urine still moves up the stick, carrying the blue beads
But there’s nothing to stick the blue beads on the test strip so it doesn’t turn blue
What do different cells have on their surfaces
Different antigens
What are tumour markers
Cancers cells antigens which are found on their cell membranes that aren’t found on normal body cells
What can be made in labs to bind to tumour markers
Monoclonal antibodies
What is an anti cancer drug
Radioactive substance
Toxic drug or a chemical which stops cancer cells growing and dividing
How are antibodies given during cancer treatment
Through a drip
What can monoclonal antibodies be used for
Bind to hormones and other chemicals in blood to measure their levels
Test blood samples in laboratory’s for certain pathogens
Locate specific molecules on a cell or in a tissue
How do monoclonal antibodies find specific antigens in substances
1)monoclonal antibodies are made that will bind to the specific molecules you are looking for
2) the antibodies are then bound to a fluorescent dye
3) if the molecules are present in the sample you’re analysing the monoclonal antibodies will attach to them and they can be detected using the dye
Advantages of monoclonal antibodies
Other cancer treatments ( chemotherapy and radiotherapy) affect normals cells whilst monoclonal antibodies only target specific cells
Side effects of monoclonal antibodies are lower than for standard chemotherapy or radiation
Disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies
Cause more side effects than what scientists originally thought
E.g fever, vomiting, low blood pressure
