Monoclonal antibodies

Question 1

What is a monoclonal antibody?

Answer 1

laboratory-produced, identical copies of a single type of antibody, all targeting the same specific antigen

Question 2

What are monoclonal antibodies used for?

Answer 2

-pregnancy tests (binding to the HCG hormone)
-in research to locate specific molecules in a cell
-treating some diseases e.g in cancer treatments to deliver a radioactive substance, toxic drug or chemical that stops cell division

Question 3

What is required to make a monoclonal antibody?

Answer 3

Tumour cells and spleen cells form a vaccinated mouse which has begun producing antibodies

Question 4

What is the name for when mouse spleen cells and tumour cells combine?

Answer 4

Hybridoma

Question 5

What happens once hybridoma is grown and antibody forming cells are developed

Answer 5

The monoclonal antibodies are collected

Question 6

Downsides of monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 6

They tend to cause side effects