Monoclonal Antibodies Flashcards
Infection and Response (23 cards)
What type of white blood cell produces antibodies?
B-lymphocytes
B-lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in the immune response by producing antibodies.
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Antibodies produced from lots of clones of a single white blood cell
Monoclonal antibodies are identical antibodies that target a specific protein or antigen.
Why can’t lymphocytes be easily grown for monoclonal antibody production?
Lymphocytes don’t divide very easily
This makes it challenging to produce large quantities of a specific antibody.
What type of cells divide easily and can be used in hybridoma technology?
Tumour cells
Tumour cells can be grown easily in culture, making them suitable for creating hybridomas.
What is a hybridoma?
A cell created by fusing a mouse B-lymphocyte with a tumour cell
Hybridomas can be cloned to produce large quantities of identical cells that produce monoclonal antibodies.
What can monoclonal antibodies bind to?
Anything you want, such as a specific antigen
This specificity allows them to target particular cells or chemicals in the body.
How are monoclonal antibodies used in pregnancy tests?
They detect the hormone HCG found in the urine of pregnant women
HCG is only present when a woman is pregnant, making it a reliable indicator.
What happens if a woman is pregnant and uses a pregnancy test?
The hormone binds to antibodies on blue beads
This causes the urine to carry the hormone and beads up the stick, resulting in a color change.
What happens if a woman is not pregnant when using a pregnancy test?
The blue beads do not stick to the test strip
Without the hormone to bind, the test strip does not change color.
Fill in the blank: Monoclonal antibodies are useful because they only bind to _______.
specific molecules
This property allows for targeted therapies and diagnostics.
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Antibodies that bind to specific antigens on cells in the body
They can be designed to target specific types of cells, such as liver cells.
What are tumor markers?
Antigens found on cancer cell membranes that are not present on normal body cells
How are monoclonal antibodies made in the lab?
By creating antibodies that bind to tumor markers
What can be attached to monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment?
An anti-cancer drug such as:
* A radioactive substance
* A toxic drug
* A chemical that stops cancer cells from growing and dividing
How are monoclonal antibodies administered to patients?
Through a drip
What do the antibodies target in cancer treatment?
Specific cancer cells by binding to tumor markers
What is a key benefit of monoclonal antibodies compared to standard chemotherapy?
They mainly target specific cells, resulting in lower side effects
True or False: Monoclonal antibodies do not cause side effects.
False
What are some side effects of monoclonal antibodies?
They can cause:
* Fever
* Vomiting
* Low blood pressure
What is one reason monoclonal antibodies are not as widely used as expected?
They cause more side effects than originally anticipated
Fill in the blank: Monoclonal antibodies can be used to bind to hormones and other chemicals in blood to measure their _______.
levels
What is one use of monoclonal antibodies in laboratories?
To test blood samples for certain pathogens
Describe the process to locate specific molecules using monoclonal antibodies.
1) Create antibodies that bind to specific molecules
2) Bind antibodies to a fluorescent dye
3) Detect molecules if present in the sample
