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Flashcards in More on Monoclonal Antibodies Deck (3)
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1
Q

How can monoclonal antibodies be used to treat diseases?

A

Different cells in the body have different antigens on their cell surface. So you can make monoclonal antibodies that will bind to specific cells in the body (e.g. just liver cells).
Cancer cells have antigens on their cell membrane that aren’t found on normal body cells. They’re called tumour markers.
In the lab, you can make monoclonal antibodies that will bind to these tumour markers.
An anti-cancer drug can be attached to these monoclonal antibodies. This might be a radioactive substance, a toxic drug or a chemical which stops cancer cells growing and dividing. The antibodies are given to the patient through a drip. The antibodies target specific cells (the cancer cells) because they only bind to the tumour markers.
The drug kills the cancer cells but doesn’t kill any normal body cells near the tumour.

2
Q

How can monoclonal antibodies be used in labs and research to find specific substances?

A
  1. Bind to hormones and other chemicals in the blood to measure their levels.
  2. Test blood samples in laboratories for certain pathogens.
  3. Locate specific molecules on a cell or in a tissue:
    - 1. First, monoclonal antibodies are made that will bind to the specific molecules you’re looking for.
    - 2. The antibodies are then bound to a fluorescent dye.
    - 3. If the molecules are present in the sample you’re analysing, the monoclonal antibodies will attach to them and they can be detected using the dye.
3
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies?

A

Advantages:
1. Cancer treatment. Other cancer treatments (like standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy) can affect normal body cells as well as killing cancer cells, whereas monoclonal antibodies target specific cells. This means the side effects of an antibody-based drug are lower than for standard chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Disadvantages:
1. Cause more side effects than were originally expected, e.g. they can cause fever, vomiting and low blood pressure. When they were first developed, scientists thought that because they targeted a very specific cell or molecule, they wouldn’t create a lot of side effects.
This means they are not as widely used as treatments as scientists had originally thought they might be.