monoclonal antibodies

How are monoclonal antibodies produced?

Monoclonal antibodies are produced from a single clone of cells. The antibodies are specific to one binding site of one protein antigen and so are able to target a specific chemical or specific cells in the body.

They are produced by stimulating mouse lymphocytes to make a particular antibody. The lymphocytes are combined with a particular kind of tumour cel to make a cell called a hybridoma cell. The hybridoma cells can both divide and make the antibody. Single hybridoma cells are cloned to produce many indentical cels that all produce the same antibody, a large amount of the antibody can be collected and purified.

Tumour cell: cell divides but does not make antibodies

Lymphocyte: makes specific antibodies but cannot divide

Hybridoma cell: cell divides and makes antibodies

USES OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

Once the monoclonal antibodies have been collected from a hybridoma cell there are many uses for them, for example:

• pregnancy tests

• In labs to measure levels of hormones and other chemical in blood

• In research to identify specific molecules in a cell or tissue by binding them with a fluorescent dye

• To treat some diseases

Problems with monoclonal antibodies

However, monoclonal antibodies create more side effects than expected. They are not widely used as everyone hoped when they were first developed.