What are the major uses of monoclonal antibodies?
Also do we need to learn the types and process of designing a monoclonal antibody?
The major uses of monoclonal antibodies include their extracted and used for theraputic purposes, such as diagnostic tests such as pregnancy tests, neutralising toxins in poisons that are produced by endotoxins in the blood, or to target cancer cells if the body does not do this itself. All we need to know about, according to the study design, however, is their use for treating cancer cells
the use of monoclonal antibodies in treating cancer
It is probably a good idea to have a basic understanding of the process - it is pretty simple to understand.
As you are probably aware, monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that are produced from a single plasma B cell. Basically, the process is:
1. An antigen (for which antibodies are required) is injected into the cell of an animal (e.g. a mouse). The animal produces plasma B cells that are specific to the antigen.
2. The plasma B cells are removed and fused with a tumor cell (called hybridisation) because tumor cells replicate rapidly and uncontrollably, and therefore are very effective to produce high numbers of the plasma cell.
3. The result is called a hybridoma cell, and it is capable of synthesising large amounds of the monoclonal antibody.
Not sure about the different types, however.