Producing Monoclonal Antibodies Flashcards
All 6 cards in this deck
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Identical antibodies produced from a single clone of cells.
Monoclonal antibodies are specific to one binding site on one protein antigen. What does this specificity allow them to do?
Target one specific chemical, or one specific type of cell, in the body.
What are the steps to produce monoclonal antibodies?
e.g. antibodies against the hormone hCG
- Inject the antigen (hCG) into a mouse to stimulate its lymphocytes to make the antibody.
- Combine a lymphocyte with a tumour cell to make a hybridoma cell, then clone it to give many identical antibody-producing cells.
- Collect and purify the antibody.
What is a hybridoma cell?
A cell made by combining a mouse lymphocyte with a tumour cell; it can both divide and make the antibody.
Why is a hybridoma cell used to make monoclonal antibodies instead of a lymphocyte alone?
Lymphocytes do not divide well, but the hybridoma divides rapidly, so it can be cloned to make large amounts of the same antibody.
True or false? In a hybridoma, it is the tumour cell that decides which antibody is made.
False. The mouse lymphocyte makes the particular antibody; the tumour cell gives the ability to divide.