Monoclonal Antibodies

• What are monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)?

  Antibodies cloned from one parent cell
• What is the specificity of monoclonal antibodies?

  Specific to one type of antigen
• What are the steps in producing monoclonal antibodies?

  1. Inject specific antigen into an animal (e.g., mouse).
  2. Extract B-lymphocytes producing complementary antibodies.
  3. Fuse B-lymphocytes with myeloma cells to form hybridoma cells.
  4. Culture hybridoma cells.
  5. Collect and purify monoclonal antibodies.
• What are the uses of monoclonal antibodies?

  • Detection of pathogens
  • Location of cancer cells and blood clots
  • Treatment of cancer
  • Used in pregnancy test kits
• What are myeloma cells?

  Type of tumour cell
• What do pregnancy kits test for?

  hCG in urine
• What does a pregnancy test consist of?

  • Stick containing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to hCG
  • mAbs attached to a blue bead (free to move)
  • mAbs fixed to the test stick
• What happens to the test stick if a woman is pregnant?

  • hCG in urine binds to mAbs attached to a blue bead
  • mAbs with hCG diffuse up dipstick
  • mAbs fixed to the stick bind to hCG
  • Blue line forms
• What happens to the test stick if a woman is not pregnant?

  • No hCG in urine
  • A blue line is not formed
• What are the advantages of using monoclonal antibodies to test for pathogens?

  • Specific to one particular antigen
  • Very accurate
  • Quick results
• Why can monoclonal antibodies target cancer cells?

  Cancer cells have specific antigens called ‘tumour markers’
• How can monoclonal antibodies be used to diagnose cancer?

  • mAbs tagged to a radioactive substance
  • mAbs injected into the patient’s bloodstream
  • mAbs bind to ‘tumour markers’ on cancer cells
  • Emitted radiation detected using a scanner
• How can monoclonal antibodies target drugs to cancer cells?

  • mAbs attached to an anti-cancer drug
  • mAbs injected into the patient’s bloodstream
  • mAbs bind to ‘tumour markers’ on cancer cells
  • Anti-cancer drug destroys cancer cells
• Why are monoclonal antibody treatments favored over traditional treatments?

  • Traditional treatments target rapidly dividing cells
  • Healthy cells are damaged, causing side effects
  • mAbs only target cancer cells, reducing normal cell damage
• How can monoclonal antibodies be used to locate blood clots?

  • mAbs tagged to a radioactive substance
  • mAbs target and bind to specific proteins in blood clots
  • Radiation emitted by mAbs is detected