Monoclonal Antibodies in Cancer Treatment Flashcards

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What is a monoclonal antibody?

An antibody made in the lab that is all one type, from a single clone of cells.

What is an antigen on a cancer cell?

A molecule, often a protein, on the cancer cell surface that an antibody can recognise and bind to.

Why can monoclonal antibodies be used to target cancer cells?

They are made to fit a specific antigen that is found on cancer cells but not on most normal cells.

How can monoclonal antibodies deliver drugs straight to cancer cells?

A toxic drug or radioactive substance is joined to the antibody, which carries it directly to the cancer cells it binds to.

How can monoclonal antibodies help the immune system destroy cancer cells?

When they bind to the cancer cells, they mark them so white blood cells can recognise and kill those cells.

How can monoclonal antibodies slow or stop cancer cell growth without carrying a drug?

They can block the receptors on cancer cells so that growth signals from the body cannot make the cells divide.

Why do monoclonal antibody treatments usually cause less damage to healthy cells than chemotherapy?

Because the antibodies mainly bind to cancer cells with the matching antigen, so fewer healthy cells are affected.

Give one advantage of using monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer.

They are targeted, so there are often fewer side effects than with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Give one disadvantage of using monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer.

They can be expensive and may still cause side effects, such as allergic reactions.

What does ‘targeted therapy’ mean in cancer treatment?

A treatment that aims at specific molecules on cancer cells, so it mainly affects cancer cells and not normal cells.