monoclonal antibodies

• What are monoclonal antibodies?

  Antibodies made from clones of a single type of cell
• What are antibodies?

  Antibodies are small proteins produced by special white blood cells called B-lymphocytes.
• What do antibodies do?

  They bind to antigens on the surface of foreign material, such as bacteria.

  This marks the foreign material for destruction by our immune system.
• Where are monoclonal antibodies made?

  In a lab
• Step 1 out of 5 in producing a monoclonal antibody

  Inject an animal, like a mouse, with the antigen that we want our antibodies to bind to.
• Step 2 out of 5 in producing a monoclonal antibody

  Let the animal develop an immune response, and then isolate some of their B-lymphocytes (which will produce the antibody we want).
• Step 3 out of 5 in producing a monoclonal antibody

  Combine those B-lymphocytes with fast-dividing tumour cells to form hybridoma cells.
• Step 4 out of 5 in producing a monoclonal antibody

  Let these hybridoma cells divide rapidly in a petri dish.
• Step 5 out of 5 in producing a monoclonal antibody

  Collect and purify the monoclonal antibodies they produce
• What can we attach to monoclonal antibodies in order to locate or destroy specific types of cells?

  drugs

  Fluorescent proteins

  Radioactive material
• What do antibodies bind to?

  antigens with a complementary shape
• What type of cell produces antibodies?

  B lymphocytes
• Uses of monoclonal antibodies

  Pregnancy tests

  To treat diseases ( eg cancer)

  In research to locate molecules

  In labs to measure levels of hormones
• How can monoclonal antibodies be used to treat cancer?

  We can attatch anti cancer drugs to the monoclonal antibody, the drug will bind the the cancer and stop it dividing
• Why are monoclonal antibodies not widely used?

  they have created more side effects than expected