Paper I
2014 September (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min

Question

Monoclonal antibodies and its application in clinical microbiology

Q35 marksShort Essays

Answer

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are antibodies of a single specificity, derived from a single clone of B cells, all identical in structure and directed against one specific epitope — in contrast to polyclonal antisera, which contain a heterogeneous mixture of antibodies against multiple epitopes.

Production (hybridoma technology — Köhler and Milstein): a mouse is immunized with the antigen of interest; antibody-secreting B (plasma) cells are harvested from its spleen and fused with an immortal myeloma cell line (using polyethylene glycol) to form hybridoma cells, which combine the antibody specificity of the B cell with the immortal, continuously dividing nature of the myeloma cell. Fused hybridomas are selected using HAT medium (hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine, which kills unfused myeloma cells while fused hybridomas survive using the B cell’s salvage pathway enzymes), then individual hybridoma clones are screened and expanded to mass-produce a single, highly specific antibody.

Applications in clinical microbiology:

  • Diagnostic immunoassays — ELISA, immunofluorescence, and rapid antigen-detection kits use monoclonal antibodies for highly specific detection of microbial antigens (e.g., detecting specific viral antigens, bacterial toxins, or surface markers).
  • Serotyping/strain identification — monoclonal antibodies against specific surface antigens allow precise serotyping of bacteria and viruses.
  • Flow cytometry — monoclonal antibodies against CD markers are used to enumerate lymphocyte subsets (e.g., CD4 T-cell counts in HIV monitoring).
  • Passive immunotherapy — monoclonal antibody preparations against specific pathogens/toxins (e.g., anti-RSV monoclonal palivizumab for prophylaxis, anti-toxin monoclonals) provide targeted passive immunity.
  • Point-of-care rapid diagnostic tests — monoclonal-antibody-based lateral flow immunochromatographic assays (e.g., rapid malaria antigen tests, rapid antigen tests for various infections) exploit their high specificity for field-deployable diagnosis.

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