Monoclonal antibodies - Essay Example

Monoclonal antibodies According to the scientists’ definition, monoclonal antibodies can be defined as monospecific antibodies, which are equal out of being made of identical immune cells, which are clones of an inimitable parent cell. One can also define these antibodies as cells that are derived from the monoancestral cell due to cell division. This class of antibodies has equal offspring of a hybridism and each one of them have specific role in a particular part of the body. This is different from polyclonal that are produced from many different immune (Simmons, 2005, 23). Monoclonal antibodies possess the monovalent affinity; this means that they have the ability to fix themselves to antigens for the purpose of discrimination of sole epitomes that gives protection against the organisms that causes diseases. The target of monoclonal antibodies is specifically the different proteins that mostly cause cell activities. These proteins include the receptor cells and other proteins that are present on, the surface of both the cancer and the normal cells. The monoclonal antibodies are very specific. This allows it to bind to the cell that has cancer and with the help of cytotoxic mediator like a strong radioactive, it destroys the cancer without affecting a person’s health (Kennett, Mac Keam, 1998, 50). The tumor cells whose replication takes place endlessly can bind with mammalian cells in order to produce a specific antibody. As a result, a fusion called hybridoma comes up. This fusion produces antibodies continuously. These antibodies are monoclonal since they all come from one parent cell, called the hybridoma.Monoclonal antibodies are always produced artificially to serve specific antigens. When producing the monoclonal antibodies in the laboratory, the antibodies are produced from one mother cell. The fusion of myeloma cells together with mammalian spleen cells results to a hybrid cells that produces a high amount of the monoclonal antibodies. Out of this experiment, two types of cells are produced. One has the potential to grow continuously while the other has the ability to produce large amounts of monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are works better than convectional drugs since the antibody specifically targets the antigen and does not have negative health effects like the conventional drugs, which causes side effects after being used (Hsu, 1990, 34). If the amount of monoclonal antibodies becomes excess in the blood, it means that there is the presence of abnormal protein in the blood. Screening of blood helps to identify these proteins through a process called protein electrophoresis. The plasma cells in the bone marrow are the main source of the production of monoclonal antibody abnormally. Monoclonal antibodies production Hybridoma produces the monoclonal antibodies. Hybridoma cells can be made through fusing two cells so that the characteristics of two cells can be combined into one cell. One of the two cells should be myeloma, which is the tumor cell while the other should be the antibody-producing cell. The hybridoma produced in the laboratory has the ability to replicate faster than the normal cells that produces antibodies (Newcombe, 2007, 23). On the other hand, the tumor cells have potential to grow endlessly and at a higher rate than the normal cells. A specific monoclonal antibody that is originally produced by the B-lymphocyte is manufactured by the hybridoma cells. One common way in which the immune system of the humans fights diseases or presence of an antigen is through the production of large amounts of antibodies (Birch, Lennox, 2000, 30). These antibodies keep circulating throughout the body until they come across an antigen, which they will attach themselves on. As soon as they attach themselves, they alert the rest of the immune system to produce many of the antibodies to fight the specific antigen found. Monoclonal antibody can be produced in the laboratory and its effectiveness carries a higher percentage since it is designed for a specific kind of an antigen. In this case, to fight breast cancer. Due to the monoclonal specificity, there are reduced side effects on the human health. The only challenge that it faces is, the researchers have to identify the specific antigen that the monoclonal antibody has to attack. This is quite hard for diseases like cancer since monoclonal antibodies works effectively on other cancers than others. This is because; the researchers have linked cancer with different antibodies that monoclonal antibodies, which is specific, cannot fight. However, with different monoclonal antibodies, some cancers are cured. Types of monoclonal antibodies There are two types of monoclonal antibodies. Naked monoclonal antibodies act by attaching itself to the antigen present on the cancer cells while others bind themselves on the antigens on the non-cancerous cells or to proteins that floats freely (Simmons, 2005, 98).These antibodies work in a completely different ways. While others work to boost one’s immunity against cancer cells, others work through preventing the action of some specific proteins that make the cancer cell to grow. An example of the antibody that boosts immunity is Alemtuzumab, which treats blood cancer. This antibody fixes itself on CD52 antigen, found in the immune cells called the T and B cells (Birch, Lennox, 2000,45).As soon asthey are attached to the surface of the cell, the antibody makes the immune system to destroy the cell. Sometimes the naked antibody blocks the antigen from making the cancer cells to grow and spread.An example is the trastuzumab is an antibody that opposes the protein HER2/neu. This protein is mostly found in the cells of other types of cancer. Incase this protein is activated, it makes the cells to grow. Trastuzumab prevents these from gaining activity. Trastuzumab treats breast cancer since breasts have a high amount of this protein. Monoclonal antibodies that are on a drug, a toxin or a radioactive substance are called conjugated monoclonal antibodies. Once one takes the drug that contains the monoclonalantibodies, the antibodies circulates in the body until it comes across the target antigen. The toxic substance is then delivered to where it is needed most. Conjugated antibodies can be divided into three different parts depending on the type of the antibody that is on the surface of the antibody. Radio labelled antibodies have minimal particles of radioactive that is attached to them. The best examples of these antibodies are ibritumomab and tositumomab. These two antibodies are against the CD20 antigen, though each one of them has a different radioactive particle on the surface. One of the ways in which the immune system attacks diseases is through making a huge number of antibiotics (Zola, 2000, 15). These proteins stick on the surface of the antigen. The antibodies go round the human body and when they find antigens, they bind themselves on the antigen. As soon as they have attaché d themselves on the surface of the antigen, they initiate the immune system to destroy the antigen. Monoclonal antibodies can be made in the laboratory and their main aim is to fight diseases. They are designed in such a way that they can specifically target certain type of an antigen. A major positive side of monoclonal antibodies is that it has very little negative effect on the health of humans as compared to other treatments of cancer. According to the researchers, if one wants to treat cancer, one has to clearly know the antigen that heist fighting against since this will help to develop the monoclonal antibody. However, when treating cancer, one has to be extremely careful since there are different types of antigens that cause the cancerous cells to multiply. Chemolabeled antibodies have chemotherapy drugs on their surface. These drugs can cause many side effects on the humans especially when the drug is used alone. Good examples of chemo labeled drugs are brentuximab vedotinand ado-trastuzumab emtasine. The antibodies in the brentuximab vedotin aim for the CD30 antigen that can only be found in the B and T cells. This antibody can be used to treat diseases such as large cell lymphoma that has developed resistance to other drugs while the antibody in the ado-trastuzumab aims to get the HER2 protein, which is attached to a drug of chemo called DM1. This antibody treats breast cancer especially in patients who have too much HER2 in their cancer cells. Lastly, immunotoxins are monoclonal antibiotics that have poisons on their surface. Denileukin diftitox is an example of a drug that belongs to this group and is used to treat some types of cancer such as the lymphoma of the skin. However, research is still underway on its effect on some types of cancer. Common side effects of the monoclonal antibodies People receive the dosage of monoclonal antibiotic through injecting in the veins. The side effects of the naked monoclonal antibiotic are insignificant as compared to those of chemotherapy. Common side effects include chills, weakness, headaches, low blood pressure and sometimes diarrhea. How monoclonal drugs work First, they allow the immune system to view the cancer cells. Despite the fact that the immune system attacks the foreign bodies inside our bodies, it hardly recognizes the cancer cells yet they are the most destructive cells in the body (Zola, 2000, 24). Monoclonal antibodies attach themselves on the surface of the cancer cells, making the cells more visible to the immune system. An example is, the monoclonal antibiotic drug rituximab attaches itself to CD20, which is a protein that is found in B cells, a type of the white blood cells. In case the rituximab binds on the surface of the B cells, the cells become more visible to the immune system, which can finally attack the rituximab lowering the number of B cells inside the body of the humans. Secondly, monoclonal antibodies help in blocking the signals of growth (In skeel, In khleif, 2011, 111). They are the chemicals that are found on the surface of the both the cancer and normal cells stimulating the growth of cells. Thirdly, the antibodies prevent other blood vessels from forming. Every cancer cells in the body relies on the blood for their growth. The blood has both the nutrients and the oxygen that can facilitate the growth of the cancerous cells (Foon & Morgan, 1999, 98). The monoclonal antibodies that are able to prevent the growth of a tumor can be able to do that by suppressing it not to get blood (Yadav, Rajiv, Tyagi,2005, 57).This will stagnate the growth of the growth of the tumor therefore prevents its spread. An example is, a monoclonal antibody called the bevacizumab is known for the treatment of a number of cancers except for the breast cancer. Its goal is on the vascular endothelial growth factor, which is a growth signal. Its aim is mainly to attract the formation of new blood vessels (Hsu, 1990, 56).Bevacivumab acts in such a capacity to prevent the connection of the two. Fourthly, the monoclonal antibodies help the cancer cells by delivering radiation. This is possible when the doctors combines the monoclonal antibodies and the radioactive particles and put it directly to the cancerous cells (Newcombe, 2007, 344). Through this process, the surrounding non-cancerous cells are protected. In addition to this, this combination uses a very low level of radiation but over an extended period. Most researchers believe that this method is highly effective. In an example, ibritumomab which is meant for the treatment of non-hodging lymphoma (Kennett, Mac Keam, 1998, 155). The breast cancer A monoclonal antibody therapy is the practice of using the monoclonal antibodies to particularly target the proteins and the cells. Cancer is a disease that is caused by the unregulated growth of cells (Taghian, 2009, 95). These cells sadly can divide uncontrollably to spread to other parts of the body. There are different types of cancer including brain, skin, blood, breasts (Ramjiawan, 2007, 132) .This is a type of cancer that mainly affects the breast area, and mutation of the breast cells causes it. This comes because of the estrogen stimulating the profilation of the mutant and the normal breast cells. Due to this increased stimulation, the risk of getting breast cancer also increases at a very high rate (Campbell, 2001, 178). In addition to this, this type of cancer commonly develops in the breasts’ tissues and there formation occurs either on the ductal carcinomas or on lobular carcinomas. These are the tiny tubes that transfer milk to the nipples and glands that make milk respectively (Rita, Ladyman, 1995,). Breast cancer can be either non-invasive or invasive. In invasive breast cancer, the cancer spreads into the lobular walls to the adjacent cells of the connective and fatty tissues (Prijitel, 2013). Cancer is metastatic meaning that it easily spreads to other organs. It is possible for cancer to be invasive and avoids being metastatic. Metastasis can take place through the lymphatic system or the blood stream (Harmer, 2011, 77). During the process of cancer spreading to other regions of the body, the cells that are in the new region are the breast cancer cells. Following this, in case the breast cancer cells spreads to the brain, the name of the disease will be metastatic breast cancer and not brain cancer (McCullough, Spier,2009, 87). For this reason, the treatment of this cancer will be exactly as the treatment of breast cancer. The common areas that metastasis takes place is the brain, the lungs and the liver. The non-invasive comes about when the cancer cells are in the duct and have not spread into the other areas such as the connective tissues (Dean, Shepherd, 212). During the early days of any cancer, the patient experiences no pain and symptoms but there are some common symptoms that commonly occurs for anyone to know that they have breast cancer. First, the underneath of the breast becomes lumpy and the nipples becomes extremely tender and with some discharge. Both men and women have the risk of getting breast cancer. There are some factors, which increases the risk of breast cancer to human beings. These factors include, the family history on breast cancer, the woman’s age, the density of her breast (Mansi, Rayter, 2003, 145). References Birch, J. R., & Lennox, E. S. (2000). Monoclonal antibodies: Principles and applications. New York: Wiley- Liss. Campbell, A. M. (2001). Monoclonal antibody technology: The production and characterization of rodent and human hybridomas. 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(2009). Breast Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Diagnosis and Management. New York: Demos Medical Pub., LLC. Yadav, P. R., Rajiv, T., & Tyagi, R. (2005). Immuno-biotechnology. New Delhi: Discovery Pub. House. Zola, H. (2000). Monoclonal antibodies: Preparation and use of monoclonal antibodies and engineered antibody derivatives. Berlin: Springer Verlag. Read More