Monoclonal antibodies

• What are monoclonal antibodies?


  Identical antibodies for the same antigen
• How are monoclonal antibodies produced?


  1. B-lymphocytes are take by injecting mice with the antigen that the antibodies are needed for
  2. Combined with myeloma (tumour) cells so they can replicate quickly
  3. This creates hybridoma cells which can rapidly clone
  4. Antibodies are collected and purified
• What are some uses of monoclonal antibodies?


  • Pregnancy tests
  • Monitoring diseaseS
  • Detecting molecules
  • Treating diseases
• How are monoclonal antibodies used in pregnancy tests?


  • Testing for HCG, only found in the urine of pregnancy women
  • First section has mobile antibodies which attach to HCG which attach to blue beads
  • Second section has stationary antibodies which bind to HCG which are stuck down to the stick
  • Person urinates on the first section and if HCG is present it will bind to these places
  • This creates two blue lines if the person is pregnant
• How are monoclonal antibodies used to monitor diseases?


  • They are modified to bind to the specific molecule that need to be monitored
  • Can be bound to fluorescent dye so molecule is easy to track
  • Can be used to measure levels of hormones or blood
• How can monoclonal antibodies be used to treat diseases like cancer?


  • Cancer cells have tumour antigens on the surface of their cells
  • You can produce monoclonal antibodies that bind to cancer cells
  • You can produce monoclonal antibodies that bind to the receptor sites that prevent cells from dividing
  • Can transport drugs, chemicals, or radioactive substances that only bind to cancer cells
• What are the advantages of using monoclonal antibodies?


  • Only bind to specific cells, not affecting healthy cells
  • Can be engineered to treat many diseases
  • Can produce hybridoma cells from a mouse instead of risking an immune response
• What are the disadvantages of using monoclonal antibodies?


  • Difficult to attach monoclonal antibodies to drugs
  • Expensive to develop
  • Can trigger immune response in humans as they're made from a mouse cell