Cells and the Immune System: Antibodies in Medicine

Monoclonal antibodies are created by injecting a specific antigen into a mouse; this triggers an immune response.
The mouse’s B-cells, producing specific antibodies against the antigen, are harvested and fused with immortal myeloma cells, creating hybridoma cells.
These hybridoma cells can rapidly reproduce and continue producing the specific antibody.
The mixture of hybridomas is then divided into separate wells, and the antibody produced by each is tested for its reaction to the antigen.
The hybridoma producing the desired antibody is cloned to produce mass quantities of monoclonal antibodies.
In medicine, monoclonal antibodies are used for both detection and treatment.
For detection, they are used in tests to identify specific antigens in a patient’s body, indicating the presence of a disease.
For treatment, monoclonal antibodies bind to specific cells or proteins, which can stimulate the patient’s immune system to attack those cells. They can also be used to deliver drugs or radioactive substances directly to tumour cells.
They can be applied to various medical contexts, including cancer treatment, autoimmune disease management, and infectious disease testing. It’s important to understand these methods and their versatility.