How monoclonal antibodies are produced from hybridoma cells, and their uses in pregnancy tests, diagnosis and treatment. Biology only content.
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1.What is a monoclonal antibody?
An antibody produced from a single clone of cells, so every one is identical and binds to one specific antigen.
2.Why are monoclonal antibodies so useful?
They are specific to one binding site on one antigen, so they can target one particular chemical or one type of cell in the body.
3.What is the first step in producing monoclonal antibodies?
A mouse is injected with the chosen antigen so that it produces lymphocytes making the required antibody.
4.What is a hybridoma cell?
A cell made by fusing a lymphocyte with a tumour cell. It can both divide rapidly and make the antibody.
5.Why is a lymphocyte fused with a tumour cell?
Lymphocytes make the antibody but do not divide easily. Tumour cells divide rapidly. Combining them gives a cell that does both.
6.What happens after the hybridoma cells are made?
A single hybridoma is cloned to produce many identical cells, which then make large amounts of the antibody to be collected and purified.
7.How are monoclonal antibodies used in pregnancy tests?
They bind to the hormone HCG, which is only found in the urine of a pregnant woman.
8.What does HCG stand for and where does it come from?
Human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone made in early pregnancy and found in the urine.
9.Why does the test line appear on a pregnancy test?
The antibodies in the test strip bind to HCG and become fixed in place, concentrating a coloured dye into a visible line.
10.How are monoclonal antibodies used in laboratories?
To measure the level of hormones and other chemicals in blood, or to detect pathogens.
11.How can monoclonal antibodies be used in research?
They can be bound to a fluorescent dye to locate or identify specific molecules in a cell or tissue.
12.How are monoclonal antibodies used to treat cancer?
The antibody is bound to a radioactive substance, a toxic drug or a chemical that stops cells growing. It delivers that directly to the cancer cells without harming other cells.
13.Why is targeting cancer this way an advantage?
The treatment is delivered to the cancer cells only, so healthy tissue is less affected than with conventional chemotherapy.
14.Give a disadvantage of monoclonal antibodies.
They create more side effects than expected, so they are not yet as widely used as originally hoped.
15.Why can monoclonal antibodies detect one specific molecule among many?
Each has a binding site with a shape complementary to one antigen only, so it ignores everything else.
16.Why are mice used in the production process?
A mouse can be injected with the antigen and its immune system will produce the lymphocytes that make the antibody needed.
17.What ethical concern is raised by monoclonal antibody production?
It involves using mice to produce the original lymphocytes, which raises animal welfare concerns.
18.How could monoclonal antibodies identify a plant disease?
A testing kit contains antibodies that bind to antigens on that specific plant pathogen, giving a visible result.
19.Why must the antibodies be purified before use?
So that only the specific antibody is present, and nothing else from the culture affects the result or the patient.
20.What is the advantage of a hybridoma over an ordinary lymphocyte?
It can be cloned indefinitely, giving an unlimited supply of exactly the same antibody.
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