Making Monoclonal Antibodies (Cambridge (CIE) AS Biology): Revision Note

The hybridoma method

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

  • Monoclonal antibodies bind to antigens in the same way as naturally produced antibodies

• The hybridoma method is used to make monoclonal antibodies

  • The method enables large quantities of identical antibodies to be produced

  • The hybridoma method fuses plasma cells with tumour cells, combining their useful properties

    • Plasma cells can produce antibodies

    • Tumour cells can divide indefinitely by mitosis and produce more identical cells

• The hybridoma method involves the following stages

  • Mice are injected with an antigen that stimulates the production of antibody-producing plasma cells

  • Isolated plasma cells from the mice are fused with immortal tumour cells, producing hybridoma cells

    • The fusion of plasma and tumour cells can be assisted with the use of fusogens such as polyethylene glycol or an electric current

  • These hybrid cells are grown in a selective growth medium and screened for the production of the desired antibody

  • They are then cultured to produce large numbers of monoclonal antibodies

• Monoclonal antibodies have multiple applications, including diagnostics, treating disease, food safety testing and pregnancy testing