Antibodies in medicine Flashcards
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Antibodies produced from a single group of genetically identical B-cells
What can monoclonal antibodies bind to?
Anything you want them to
What are monoclonal antibodies useful for?
Treating illness and medical diagnosis
What does ELISA stand for?
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
What does an ELISA test show?
If a patient has any antibodies to a certain antigen or any antigen to a certain antibody
What can ELISA tests be used for?
Medical diagnosis to test for pathogenic infections, for allergies and for just about anything you can make an antibody for
What happens in an ELISA test?
An antibody with an enzyme attached to it is used as the enzyme reacts to the substrate to produce a coloured product
What does a colour change show?
That the antigen or antibody of interest is present in the sample being tested
What are the two types of ELISA test?
Direct
Indirect
What does a direct ELISA use?
a single antibody that is complimentary to the antigen you’re testing for
What are the stages in a direct ELISA?
1) Antigens from patient sample bound inside of a well in a well plate.
2) a detection antibody with an attached enzyme that is complimentary to the antigen of interest is added.
3) If antigen of interest is present, it will be immobilised on the inside surface and detection antibody will bind to it
4) The well I then washed out to remove any unbound antibody and a substrate solution is added.
5) If detection antibody is present then the enzyme reacts with the substrate to give a colour change.
What is a positive result of the antibody in a direct ELISA?
A colour change
How is an indirect ELISA different to a direct ELISA?
It uses two different antibodies
What are the stages in an indirect ELISA?
1) Antigen for illness/disease bound to bottom of a well in well plate
2) Sample of patient’s blood plasma, which might contain several different antibodies, is added to the well. If there are any antibodies specific to the antigen in the plasma they will bind and then the antibodies will be stuck to the bottom of the well.
3) The well is then washed out to remove any unbound antibodies
4) A second antibody which has a specific enzyme attached to it, is added to the well and can bind to the antibody which is already bound.
5) the well Is then washed out again to remove any unbound secondary antibody
6) A solution is added containing substrate which can react with the enzyme attached to the secondary antibody
What is a positive result in an indirect ELISA?
When a coloured product is released
Indicates the individual has the antibodies for an illness/disease and is infected
