A Study on the Applications of Hybridoma Technology

Hybridomas are the type of cells which have been engineered in order to generate large amounts of desired antibody to generate monoclonal antibodies (Bretton, Melamed and Cote, 1994). Monoclonal antibodies can be generated through the specialized cells by using the technique which is known as the hybridoma technology. In 1975, two scientists namely, Cesar Milstein and Georges Kohler discovered hybridoma technology jointly with Niels Jerne. Hybridoma technology is a technology which helps to form hybrid cell lines (known as Hybridoma) by fusing a particular antibody in order to generate B cell with a B cell cancer (myeloma cell) which is selected for its ability in order to freeze, grow in tissue culture and also for the absence of the antibody chain synthesis. Apart from these, the antibodies which are generated by hybridoma may have single specificity and so it is called as monoclonal antibodies. Using the antibodies for immunization against infectious diseases provides such as tumors and injured tissue are the potential benefits to the antibodies. The heterogeneity of immune will have capacity to response to the technical and ethical problems that involved in producing the human antibodies which has natural products of human humoral immune system (Kohler and Milstein 1975). The following figure illustrates the history of monoclonal antibodies. Figure: History of Monoclonal Antibodies Source: Pharma Express (2009): mAbs, retrieved on 2nd April 2013 from http://pharma.financialexpress.com/20091115/expressbiotech10.shtml The hybridoma technology makes possible to immortalize the cells that formed from antibodies from immunized host by the fusion with the myeloma cell and also to produce the

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clones which have capacity to generate single, homogeneous antibody (Morrison, 1989). Apart from these, hybridoma cells can be frozen and it can be grown in mass culture or otherwise injected into the animal in order to form tumors which have capacity to generate antibodies in large amounts. The ability to freeze the cells makes possible to store the cells for long term. The hybridoma technology is the one which makes to produce monospecific antibodies to the antigens that are impure and also poorly characterized (Bankert, 1980). In addition to these, availability of monoclonal antibodies let the antibodies selection with specific functional characteristics and affinities. Hybridoma technology has several scientific benefits and it provides several opportunities for the examination of clinical and fundamental questions that with the monoclonal antibodies. MAbs (Monoclonal Antibodies) are the antibody proteins which have a target antigen (molecule) at antigenic site (one specific site) (Kohler and Milstein, 1975). Monoclonal antibodies are acting as a key in order to develop new kinds of vaccines. The following figure illustrates the hybridoma technology in order to generate monoclonal antibodies. Figure: Using hybridoma technology to make monoclonal antibodies Source: LSRHS (nd): Understanding the Immune System, retrieved on 2nd April 2013 from http://www.lsrhs.net/departments/science/faculty/Rami/Understanding.the.Immune.System/page.28.html Today, many monoclonal antibodies are used in the clinical trials as a treatment for many diseases. Monoclonal antibodies are mainly utilized in several diagnostic procedures which include: identifying infectious agents, identifying tumour antigents and also auto-antibodies, identifying leukemia and lymphomas, measuring drug levels and proteins in serum, identifying and quantifying the hormones and typing tissue and blood, and identifying the cells that involved in the immune response.

Hybridoma technology is used by several applications and also applications are gaining several advantages. These applications are used to develop many new approaches in order to find various treatments for the several diseases. The applications of hybridoma technology may include purification of protein, radioimmunoassay and Lymphocyte phenotyping. Apart from these, immuno-cytochemical is also an application that describes about lymphoma. In addition to these, there are few recent applications that derived monoclonal antibodies of hybridoma technology in order to diagnosis of parasitic disease. Here, in order to detect the antigen in body fluids and host tissues the test such as ELSIA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and RIA (radioimmunoassay) will be used. Apart from these, monoclonal antibodies are mainly used as the treatment for cancer and monoclonal antibodies can also be modificated for delivery of the cytokine and radioisotope. The following are few applications of the hybridoma technology.

Monoclonal antibodies for the specified substance have been generated then they will be used to detect the presence of that substance. The immuno dot blot tests and western blot test may have capacity to detect the presence of the protein on the membrane (Zuckier LS, Rodriguez and Scharff, 1989). Apart from these, this is also useful in immunofluorescence test which helps to identify the substance in live cells or frozen tissue section and immunohistochemistry which helps to detect the antigen in the fixed tissue sections. The following table illustrates the types of Immuno experiments and its associated labels.

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Table: Types of Immuno Experiments and its Associated Labels Source: Novus Biologicals (n.d): Antibody Conjugation, retrieved on 2nd April 2013 from http://www.novusbio.com/support/support-by-application/antibody-conjugation/illustrated-assay.html

Monoclonal antibodies are one of the possible treatments for the cancer. Here, monoclonal antibodies bind only to the cancer cell antigens and then induce the response of immunological against the targeted cancer cell (Johnston et al, 1987). Monoclonal antibodies are possible to be modified for the delivery of the cytokine, toxin, radioisotope or other active conjugate. Apart from these, it is possible to design the bi-specific antibodies which can have capacity to bind with Fab regions in order to target both conjugate or effector cell and antigen (French et al, 1986). The following table illustrates various types of monoclonal antibodies that used to treat various types of cancer. Table: Various types of monoclonal antibodies that used to treat various types of cancer. Source: Pharma Express (2009): mAbs, retrieved on 2nd April 2013 from http://pharma.financialexpress.com/20091115/expressbiotech10.shtml

Producing the monoclonal antibodies with the standard procedure is one of the major problems in the medical applications. Murine antibodies are although very similar to the human ones (Ghosh et al, 1983). The human immune system is the one which will recognizes the mouse antibodies as foreign and then rapidly removing them from the circulation and so it may causes the systemic inflammatory effects (Kranz et al, 1980). These responses are recognized as generating Human Anti-Mouse (HAMA) antibodies or Human Anti-Chimeric (HACA) antibody antibodies. Here, only solution to this issue is by generating the human antibodies directly from the humans. But, this process is not easy and this is because, generally it is ethical to challenge humans with the antigen to generate antibody. Apart from these, it is not easy to produce human antibodies against the human tissues. The following table illustrates the types of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that used in various applications.

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Figure: Types of Monoclonal Antibodies (MAbs) that used in Various Applications. Source: Pharma Express (2009): mAbs, retrieved on 2nd April 2013 from http://pharma.financialexpress.com/20091115/expressbiotech10.shtml

This research concludes that hybridoma technology is the one which was not changed till now from the year it was discovered. Hybridoma technology provides various benefits and advantages and also more opportunities for the fundamental and clinical questions along with the monoclonal antibodies. This research concludes that various applications are using hybridoma technology to obtain various advantages. This study concludes that diagnostic tests are utilizing monoclonal antibodies and also with ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and RIA (radioimmunoassay) in order to detect antigen in body fluids and host tissues. Apart from these, this research strongly concludes hybridoma technology with monoclonal antibodies is the one which is best treatment for cancer.

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