In: Biology
Which of the following can be linked to a toxin to kill a specific cellular target?
a:Small-molecule drugs
b:Recombinant proteins
c:Monoclonal antibodies
d:Vaccines
e:Blood products
Monoclonal antibodies can be linked to a toxin to kill a specific cellular target.
Monoclonal antibodies are identical immunoglobulins that are produced from a single B-cell clone. Monoclonal antibodies can be conjugated to toxin molecules to form a chimeric protein called immunotoxins. These immunotoxins perform the cell-killing activity by binding to the target cells.
Monoclonal antibodies have properties like high specificity, purity, and ability to enhance the host immune system. These properties make it a perfect candidate to conjugate with the toxin to kill a specific cellular target.
Recombinant proteins are proteins which are encoded by a recombinant DNA. It does not have the property to enhance the host immune system and specificity, therefore, it cannot be linked to a toxin.
Vaccines and blood products have the property to enhance the host immune response but they do not have the properties like specificity and purity to link with a toxin. Linking these products with a toxin will be a futile process.