Monoclonal Antibodies

Production of MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

Antibodies are made from white blood cells known as LYMPHOCYTES.

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES are IDENTICAL antibodies made from CLONES of lymphocytes.

They can be made using the following steps:

1. A pathogen with an ANTIGEN is injected into a mouse.

2. The mouse's immune system creates LYMPHOCYTES that produce the SPECIFIC ANTIBODY to fight the antigen of the pathogen. These lymphocytes are EXTRACTED from the mouse.

3. The extracted lymphocyte is then COMBINED with a TUMOUR cell to create a cell known as a HYBRIDOMA.

4. Tumour cells divide rapidly, which means the hybridoma divides to form many clones of itself. These clones can all make the ANTIBODIES that are specific to the antigen of the original pathogen. A large amount of the antibody can then be collected and purified.