monoclonal antibody

(noun)

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb or moAb) are monospecific antibodies that are the same because they are made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell. Monoclonal antibodies have monovalent affinity, in that they bind to the same epitope

Related Terms

  • western blot
  • immunoglobulin

Examples of monoclonal antibody in the following topics:

  • Monoclonal Antibodies

    • Monoclonal antibodies are monospecific antibodies that recognize one specific epitope on a pathogen.
    • Monoclonal antibodies have monovalent affinity in that they bind to the same epitope.
    • Monoclonal antibody therapy is the use of monoclonal antibodies (or mAb) to specifically bind to target cells or proteins.
    • Human monoclonal antibodies are produced using transgenic mice or phage display libraries.
    • Two researchers looking at slides of cultures of cells that make monoclonal antibodies.
  • Antibodies: Classes and Affinity Maturation

    • Virtually any microbe can trigger an antibody response.
    • Several complex genetic mechanisms have evolved allowing vertebrate B cells to generate a diverse pool of antibodies from a relatively small number of antibody genes.
    • Combining these genes with an assortment of genes for other antibody domains generates a large cavalry of antibodies (i.e., a high degree of variability).
    • Some point mutations result in the production of antibodies having a weaker interaction (low affinity) with their antigen than the original antibody, and some generate antibodies with a stronger interaction (high affinity).
    • In contrast, monoclonal antibodies are monovalent for the same epitope.
  • Active and Passive Humoral Immunity

    • The humoral immune response is the aspect of immunity that is mediated by secreted antibodies.
    • The humoral immune response (HIR) is the aspect of immunity that is mediated by secreted antibodies produced by B cells.
    • Secreted antibodies bind to antigens on the surfaces of invading pathogens, which flag them for destruction.
    • Passive immunity is the transfer of active humoral immunity in the form of ready-made antibodies from one individual to another.
    • Artificially acquired passive immunity is a short-term immunization achieved by the transfer of antibodies, and can be administered in several forms: as human or animal blood (usually horse) plasma or serum, as pooled human immunoglobulin for intravenous (IVIG) or intramuscular (IG) use, and as monoclonal antibodies (MAb).
  • Structure and Function of Antibodies

    • The antibody recognizes a unique part of an antigen (foreign object).
    • Most antibodies exist as a monomer, in which they have a single "Y" shaped sub-unit, but some antibodies can exist as dimers (two subunits) or pentamers (five subunits).
    • There are five different isotypes of antibodies.
    • IgG: Has four different forms,  and provides the majority of antibody-based immunity against invading pathogens, because it is the best opsonin of any type of antibody.
    • Each antibody binds to a specific antigen; an interaction similar to a lock and key.
  • Erythroblastosis Fetalis (Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn)

    • Among these antibodies are some which attack the red blood cells in the fetal circulation.
    • Antibodies are produced when the body is exposed to an antigen foreign to the make-up of the body.
    • In other words, if a mother has anti-RhD (D being the major Rhesus antigen) IgG antibodies as a result of previously carrying a RhD-positive fetus, this antibody will only affect a fetus with RhD-positive blood.
    • On rare occasions, IgG antibodies are produced.
    • In contrast, Rhesus antibodies are generally not produced from exposure to environmental antigens.
  • Types of Adaptive Immunity

    • The B cells then rapidly produce a large number of antibodies that circulate through the body's plasma.
    • Antibodies provide a number of functions in humoral immunity.
    • Six different classes of antibodies provide distinct functions and interact with different cells in the immune system.
    • All antibodies bind to pathogens to opsonize them, which makes it easier for phagocytic cells to bind to and destroy the pathogen.
    • This diagram of adaptive immunity indicates the flow from antigen to APC, MHC2, CD4+, T helper cells, B cells, antibodies, macrophages, and killer T cells.
  • Antigens and Antigen Receptors

    • Antigens are molecules that initiate the immune response and can be bound by antibodies.
    • In immunology, an antigen is a substance that evokes the production of one or more antibodies.
    • At the molecular level, an antigen is characterized by its ability to be "bound" at the antigen-binding site of an antibody.
    • Note also that antibodies tend to discriminate between the specific molecular structures presented on the surface of the antigen.
    • The distinct molecular surface features of an antigen capable of being bound by an antibody (a.k.a. antigenic determinant).
  • Blood Groups and Blood Types

    • This will cause the immune system to make specific antibodies to a particular blood group antigen and form an immunological memory against that antigen.
    • There are four blood types that differ based on the antigen expressed by the red blood cell and by the type of associated antibody found in the plasma.
    • Blood group A individuals have the A antigen on the surface of their RBCs, and blood serum containing IgM antibodies against the B antigen.
    • Blood group B individuals have the B antigen on their surface of their RBCs, and blood serum containing IgM antibodies against the A antigen.
    • Rh positive individuals do not have the antibodies for the Rh factor, but can make them if exposed to Rh.
  • Complete Antigens and Haptens

    • Once the body has generated antibodies to a hapten-carrier adduct, the small-molecule hapten may also be able to bind to the antibody, but it will usually not initiate an immune response; usually, only the hapten-carrier adduct, which is the completed antigen, can do this.
    • Sometimes the small-molecule hapten can even block immune response to the complete antigen by preventing the adduct from binding to the antibody, a process called hapten inhibition.
    • In this case, the hapten acts as the epitope for the antigen, which binds to the antibodies without causing a response.
    • If this happens with enough haptens, there will not be enough antibodies left to bind to the complete antigen, so the antibody response is then inhibited.
  • Maturation of B Cells

    • B cell development occurs through several stages, each stage representing a change in the genome content at the antibody loci.
    • They do not produce antibodies until they become fully activated.
    • Most of such B cells differentiate into plasma cells that secrete antibodies into blood that bind the same epitope that elicited proliferation in the first place.
    • B cells are the cells of the immune system that make antibodies to invading pathogens like viruses.
    • They form memory cells that remember the same pathogen for faster antibody production in future infections.
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