Ethical Issues Surrounding the Use of Monoclonal Antibodies

Mindmap on the ethics behind using monoclonal antibodies in medicine

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  • Created by: hanna.m.w
  • Created on: 13-02-17 10:34
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  • Ethical Issues behind the Use of Monoclonal Antibodies
    • Positives
      • Once a suitable hybridoma is developed- the antibodies can be generated on a large scale
      • As they are so specific they can often diagnose diseases earlier than other technologies- the patient has a higher chance of survival and often less intense treatment
        • Saves money on treatments for the NHS- can go to funding other care/research
      • Using monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment has less severe side effects than alternative treatment eg radiotherapy / chemotherapy can cause hair loss, suppression of the immune system, reduced ability to clot blood
      • They are used for detecting early pregnancies so the mother can then take precautions to ensure the welfare of her and her child
      • They can reduce the affects of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis by binding to T cells in the immune system reducing the immune response
      • They allow organs to be transplanted as they can reduce the immune response also by binding to T cells- saving lives
      • Also used to produce insulin to treat Type 1 diabetes
    • Negatives
      • On Mice
        • You have to give them induced cancer- is this okay?
        • FCA- which is given to enhance the immune system gives the mouse very painful lesions when it is injected
        • Pristane- given as a "priming agent" causes granulomatous reactions(inflammation
        • You create transgenic animals (giving mice the properties of humans to make the antibodies suitable for use in humans)
        • The mice die which is when you harvest the ascites(fluid in the abdomen which contains a high concentration of antibodies)
      • On Humans
        • Testing new drugs presents concerns
          • Lots of students take part in drug trials as they have little money- is it fair to take advantage of people like this?
          • March 2006- 6 healthy volunteers suffered multiple organ failure after a new monoclonal antibody TGN1412 caused immune response that lead to multiple organ failure
        • Some deaths have been reported after monoclonal antibodies were used to treat multiple sclerosis
        • side effects which may include: allergic reactions, flu like symptoms, faintness and fatigue, breathlessness
        • Expensive to produce- could the funding go to finding other cures for diseases?
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danielle_clewley

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super helpful!

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