monoclonal antibody
(Science: immunology molecular biology) A substance, usually a protein, which can be synthsised in the laboratory in pure form by a single clone (population) of cells.
These antibodies can be made in large quantities and have a specific affinity for certain target molecules called antigens which can be found on the surface of cells and those that are malignant.
monoclonal antibodies are currently being investigated as a possible form of cancer treatment although their benefit has not be fully proven.
Dictionary > Monoclonal antibody
You will also like...
Genetic Control – On and Off Genes
Genes are the blueprint of our bodies, a blueprint that creates a variety of proteins essential to any organism's surviv..
Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes
Learn about the general structure of a eukaryotic gene, the transcription factors, and post-transcriptional regulation....
Mātauranga Māori and Science
Mātauranga Māori is the living knowledge system of the indigenous people of New Zealand, including the relationships t..
Darwin and Natural Selection
This tutorial investigates the genetic diversity in more detail. It also delineates how certain alleles are favored over..
The Human Nervous System
The nervous system is essentially a biological information highway. This tutorial gives an overview of the nervous syste..
Meiosis and Alternation of Generations
Plants are characterized by having alternation of generations in their life cycles. This tutorial is a review of plant m..