B6.5 Making monoclonal antibodies

Question 1

What are hybridoma cells?

Answer 1

The combination of mice lymphocytes with a type of tumour cells

Question 2

What are monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 2

Proteins that are produced to target particular cells or chemicals in the body

Question 3

What are lymphocytes?

Answer 3

White blood cells that make antibodies but cannot divide

Question 4

What are tumour cells?

Answer 4

Cells that do not make antibodies but they can divide rapidly to make a clone of cells

Question 5

How are monoclonal antibodies produced?

Answer 5

Singles hybridoma cells that divide to make a large number of identical cells that produce the same antibodies

Question 6

How are monoclonal antibodies made?

Answer 6

An antigen is injected into a mouse.

The mouse naturally produces lymphocytes, which produce antibodies specific to the antigen that was injected.

Spleen cells, which produce the lymphocytes, are removed from the mouse.

The spleen cells are fused with human cancerous white blood cells called myeloma cells to form hybridoma cells which divide indefinitely.

These hybridoma cells divide and produce millions of monoclonal antibodies specific to the original antigen.

Question 7

How do pregnancy test work?

Answer 7

A tiny amount of hormones is passed out of the body in the urine
Monoclonal antibodies in the pregnancy bind to the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone if it is present - and this is used to produce the color change that signals a positive result

Question 8

How can monoclonal antibodies be used to diagnose diseases?

Answer 8

Monoclonal antibodies are made to bind to specific antigens found on pathogens.
May carry markers that make it easy for doctors to see where they have built up
Allows to see doctors to detect problems

Question 9

How can monoclonal antibodies be used in measuring and monitoring?

Answer 9

Used to measure the levels of hormones and other chemicals in the blood - such as HIV infections or detecting illegal drugs used by athletes

Question 10

How can monoclonal antibodies used in research?

Answer 10

Monoclonal antibodies used to locate or identify specific molecules in a cell or tissue
Scientists produce monoclonal antibodies to a molecule of a fluorescent dye.
When the monoclonal antibody has binded to the desired molecule scientists can see what has happened by observing the build of the dye