Monoclonal Antibodies

Question 1

How are antibodies produced

Answer 1

White blood cells called lymphocytes
= produce antibodies against anything body defects as foreign

Question 2

Define antigens

Answer 2

Foreign objects detected in the body

Question 3

Describe lab mouse technique
(How to produce monoclonal antibodies)

Answer 3

• inject mouse with an antigen
  = lymphocytes produce antibodies against antigen
• collect lymphocytes from mouse
• fuse lymphocytes with tumour cell
  = produce hybridoma cell
  = produce antibodies and divide by mitosis
• select single hybridoma that produces any antibody we want
• allow hybridoma cell to divide by mitosis
  = form clone of hybridoma cells
  = called monoclonal antibodies

Question 4

Problem with lymphocytes

Answer 4

Won’t divide by mitosis

Question 5

Why do we fuse lymphocytes with tumour cell

Answer 5

Tumour cell very good at diving by mitosis

Question 6

Key facts of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 6

• produced from a single clone of hybridoma cells
  = means they’re specific to one binding site on one protein antigen
  = means they can target specific chemicals or cells in body
  = have a large number of uses

Question 7

Uses of monoclonal antibodies in pregnancy testing

Answer 7

• used to detect a specific hormone
• hormone is produced by the placenta of fetus
• cheap and easy to use
• highly accurate if used correctly

Question 8

Describe use of monoclonal antibodies in lab testing

Answer 8

• use to measure the levels of hormones in blood
• can detect pathogens in blood
• they are completely specific to what we’re looking for

Question 9

Describe use of monoclonal antibodies for location

Answer 9

• use to locate or identify specific molecules in a cell or tissue

Question 10

Describe use of monoclonal antibodies for treating disease

Answer 10

• cancer cells undergo uncontrolled mitosis and spread around the body
• scientists can make antibodies specific to cancer cells
• then attach radioactive substance to the antibody
• when antibody injected into blood it attaches to cancer cells
• radioactive substance stops cancer cells from growing and dividing
  = delivers specifically to cancer cell without harming other cells in body

Question 11

Disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies in drug trials

Answer 11

Produce very harmful side effects

Question 12

Adv of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 12

Always bind to one specific thing

Question 13

Adv of lymphocytes

Answer 13

Create antibodies that bind to anything we want

Question 14

Adv of pregnancy tests

Answer 14

Cheap
Quick
Reliable way to see if your pregnant

Question 15

How does pregnancy test work
(Brief)

Answer 15

• woman produces hcg if pregnant which is excreted in urine
• strip detects hormone

Question 16

How does pregnancy test strip work

Answer 16

• Right side has monoclonal antibodies specific to hcg bind to hcg if present
• Antibodies are fixed to test strip
  = can’t move
• Left side contains blue beads covered in same antibodies
• Beads are free to move around
• If not pregnant urine moves beads to flow over fixed antibodies
  = doesn’t go blue
• If pregnant hcg binds to antibodies on blue beads
• When antibodies flow they bind to fixed antibodies
  = beads get stuck in place
  = appears blue