Question

1. How does the immune system protect us from disease?
2. How do doctors use the immune response to protect you from disease?
3. How are the antibodies in your body made?
4. How are antibodies that are used in ELISA made?
5. What does ELISA stand for?
6. What enzymes were used in the Labster simulation? Why?
7. Why are enzymes used in this immunoassay?
8. Why do you need to assay positive and negative control samples as well as your experimental samples?
9. If the sample gave a negative result for the antigen, does this mean that the antigen is not present? What reasons could there be for a negative result when the antigen is actually present?
10. What antibody-based tests can you buy at your local pharmacy?
11. How can gene therapy be used to treat a disease?
12. What is a vector? What purpose does it serve in gene therapy?
13. Describe the process of developing and testing a viral gene therapy option (as explored in the Labster simulation).
14. What risks are associated with using gene therapy?

Answer 1

1) The immune system is designed to defend the body against invaders that include microorganisms , parasites , cancer cells and transplanted organs and tissues .  

* It recognize and neutralize harmful substances from the enviroment .

* It fight disease causing changes in the body such as cancer cells

* It fight disease causing germs or pathogens .

2) The main job of the innate immune system is to fight harmful substances and germs that enter the body , for instance through the skin or digestive system , the adaptive ( specific) immune system makes antibodies and uses them to specifically fight certain germs that the body has previously come into contact with .

3) Antibodies are produced by specialized white blood cells called B lymphocytes (B cells) .When an antigen binds to the B-cell surface , it stimulates the B cell to divide and mature into a group of identical cells called a clone .

4) Antibody production methods can be divided in two main categories : in vitro production and in vivo production .

There are several techniques for in vitro antibody production, including the use of static cell cultures and the use of bioreactors. In vitro production offers the advantage of large - scale production in short time;besides, the antibodies produced by this method are easily purified.However, in vitro antibody production has several disadvantages,including the inability to create glycosylated antibodies. In vivo methods, on the other hand are able to produce antibodies in high concentration .

5) ELISA stands for enzyme linked immunoassay .It is a commonly used laboratory test to detect antibodies in the blood .

15) Gene therapy presents the following risks ;

* Unwanted immune system reaction .

* Our body's immune system may see the newly introduced viruses as intruders and attack them

* This may cause inflammation and in severe cases organ failure may occur .