Monoclonal antibodies

Antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells called lymphocytes

Antigens are protein molecules found on the surface of cells and which stimulate an immune response (antibody
production)

Monoclonal antibodies:
 Genetically identical
 Antibodies produced from a single clone of cells
 Specific to one binding site on one antigen and so are able to target a specific chemical or specific cells in the
body
 This problem was solved for mice in 1975 with a technique devised by Köhler and Milstein (for which they
were awarded a Nobel Prize).
 An antibody-secreting B cell, like any other cell, can become cancerous. The unchecked proliferation of such a
cell is called a myeloma.
 Köhler and Milstein found a way to combine
 the unlimited growth potential of myeloma cells with
 the predetermined antibody specificity of normal immune spleen cells.
 They did this by literally fusing myeloma cells (cancer) with antibody-secreting cells (lymphocytes) from an
immunized mouse. The technique is called somatic cell hybridization. The result is a hybridoma.


 Used in pregnancy tests, to measure hormone levels, identify specific cells or molecules, screen blood
 Pregnancy tests use monoclonal antibodies to bind to HCG and release dyes if it is found
Treatment of disease
There are three ways you can use monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer.

They can also bind to cells and block off the supply of nutrients so the cancer cell would die.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages Disadvantages
 Can target specific cells – can find damaged or  Are very expensive to develop
diseased cells and bind to those specifically  Need mice – human hybrid cells
 Side effects can be treated by using mice –  Difficult to get the right antibodies
human hybrid cells  Actually attaching them to drugs is difficult
 Treat many conditions  Time consuming


Exam questions
You could use them to block the receptors from the antigen. Also could use them to destroy infected cells

When a woman takes the test and hCG is present in her urine, it binds to the monoclonal antibodies on the test strip
during the reaction zone, triggering a chemical reaction that results in a visible indication of pregnancy, such as a
presence of blue dye, appearing as lines. The specificity of these monoclonal antibodies is crucial for the test's
accuracy which is checked during the control zone, ensuring that it doesn't produce false results due to other
substances commonly found in urine. Blue dye appears in the control and results zone to show a positive result.

Even if there is no hcg there will still appear a control line parallel to the test line.

PA: 4/6