VPB 321: Animal Biotechnology (2+1)

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES 

• Each B lymphocyte can produce only one type of antibody. Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies produced by a group of antibody secreting B cells grown from a single B cell that is directed against a single epitope of an antigen.
• In 1975 the scientists, Kholar and Milstein first showed the ways to produce monoclonal antibodies from hybrids between myeloma tumor cells and antigen stimulated B lymphocytes.
• Monoclonal antibody production involves the creation of hybrid cells derived from two parental cell types: normal antibody producing cells and cancerous myeloma cells. The hybrid cells are formed by fusing the myeloma cells and the antibody secreting B lymphocytes using a chemical, polyethylene glycol (PEG). Hybrid cells have characters of both parents, that is the infinite growth of the cancerous myeloma cells and antibody secreting property of B lymphocytes.