Lab antibodies, specifically monoclonal antibodies, are created using a fascinating process that combines the power of the immune system with cell culture techniques.
Here's a breakdown of how it's done:
The Creation of Monoclonal Antibodies
The process primarily revolves around creating what is known as hybridomas. Here's a table that simplifies the process:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Immunization | A mouse is injected with the antigen (the substance the antibody is supposed to target) that needs the specific antibody. This activates the mouse's immune system. |
| 2. Spleen Cell Extraction | Once the mouse's immune system produces the desired antibodies, the antibody-secreting cells are extracted from its spleen. |
| 3. Myeloma Cell Fusion | The extracted spleen cells are then fused with myeloma cells (cancerous cells that can grow indefinitely in culture). This fusion is done to create hybridomas. |
| 4. Hybridoma Selection | Hybridomas are selected based on their ability to produce the desired antibody and grow in culture. |
| 5. Antibody Production | The selected hybridomas are cultured, and they will produce monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies are purified from the cell culture supernatant. |
Key Concepts:
- Monoclonal Antibodies: These are antibodies that are produced by a single clone of cells and are all identical and specific to a single antigen.
- Myeloma Cells: These are cancerous cells that can grow indefinitely in culture, thus providing the “immortality” aspect of the hybridoma.
- Hybridomas: These hybrid cells are able to both produce specific antibodies (from the spleen cells) and replicate continuously (from the myeloma cells).
- Cell Culture Supernatant: This refers to the liquid medium in which cells are grown, from which the antibodies are extracted.
Practical Insights:
- Specificity: The monoclonal nature ensures that each antibody produced targets the same specific site on the antigen, making them incredibly precise tools in research and medicine.
- Scalability: Hybridomas can be grown in large quantities, allowing for the mass production of specific antibodies.
- Applications: Monoclonal antibodies are used extensively in diagnostic tests, therapeutic treatments, and various research applications.
How it ties into the provided reference:
As stated in the reference, "Monoclonal antibodies are produced by fusing antibody-secreting spleen cells from immunized mice with immortal myeloma cell to create monoclonal hybridoma cell lines that express the specific antibody in cell culture supernatant." This accurately summarizes the core process described above.
