In biology, cells derived from a single clonal origin
In
biology, monoclonality refers to the state of a line of
cells that have been derived from a single clonal origin.[1] Thus, "monoclonal cells" can be said to form a single
clone. The term monoclonal comes from
Ancient Greek monos 'alone, single', and klon 'twig'.[2]
The process of replication can occur in vivo, or may be stimulated in vitro for laboratory manipulations. The use of the term typically implies that there is some method to distinguish between the cells of the original population from which the single ancestral cell is derived, such as a
random genetic alteration, which is
inherited by the progeny.
Common usages of this term include:
Monoclonal antibody: a single
hybridoma cell, which by chance includes the appropriate
V(D)J recombination to produce the desired
antibody, is cloned to produce a large population of identical cells. In informal laboratory jargon, the monoclonal antibodies isolated from
cell culturesupernatants of these hybridoma clones (hybridoma lines) are simply called monoclonals.
Monoclonal
neoplasm (tumor): A single aberrant cell which has undergone
carcinogenesis reproduces itself into a cancerous mass.
Monoclonal plasma cell (also called
plasma cell dyscrasia): A single aberrant plasma cell which has undergone carcinogenesis reproduces itself, which in some cases is cancerous.