Monoclonal Antibodies (AQA A Level Biology): Revision Note

Monoclonal antibodies

• Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are identical antibodies from a single B cell clone

• They are highly specific and so bind to one particular antigen

Uses of monoclonal antibodies

Targeting medication (drug delivery)

• mAbs can be designed to bind only to specific cell types, e.g. cancer cells

  • A therapeutic drug is attached to the antibody

  • The antibody carries the drug directly to the target cells

• This increases effectiveness and reduces damage to healthy cells

Medical diagnosis

• mAbs are used to detect the presence and location of specific antigens

• They are often labelled with a radioactive, fluorescent or enzyme marker

• Common uses of monoclonal antibodies include:

  • pregnancy tests (detect hCG in urine)

  • infection detection (e.g. HIV, Streptococcus)

  • cancer screening and locating blood clots/tumours