WHAT IS MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY?

Monoclonal antibody is a specific kind of antibody, which is produced by immunizing a mouse by specific antigen.

Procedure:

• A mouse is inoculated with an antigen carrying the specific epitope. 

• Spleen from the mouse is removed and kept in a petri dish to release B-cells. The culture medium also contains myeloma cells (immortal in nature and divides tremendously, but do not produce antibodies). 

• PEG (Polyethylene glycol) is added to the mixture in the culture medium to fuse the two types of cells = HYBRIDOMA 

• In a HAT (Hypoxanthine Aminopterin)  medium, myeloma cells that could not fuse die. Each hybridoma is called CLONAL CULTURE

The major application of monoclonal antibody is in the diagnosis of AIDS by ELISA test.

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