What does hybridoma mean?
A hybridoma is a laboratory-made cell formed by fusing two different cells. Its best-known application combines an antibody-producing B lymphocyte with a myeloma, a type of cancer cell. The lymphocyte contributes the ability to manufacture a particular antibody, while the myeloma contributes the capacity to keep dividing in culture. A selected hybridoma therefore provides a renewable source of one specific monoclonal antibody. Hybridomas are widely used in research, diagnostic testing, and the development of therapeutic antibodies. The word is specialized rather than general and is normally reserved for cells deliberately created through cellular fusion, especially in biomedical and industrial contexts. Its importance lies in how it makes highly specific antibodies available in quantities that were difficult to obtain from ordinary immune cells.
nounA hybrid cell formed by combining two different cells, especially an antibody-producing lymphocyte with a cancerous myeloma cell, so that it can produce a desired monoclonal antibody.
- A cell created by the fusion of two genetically distinct cells, especially an antibody-producing B lymphocyte and a myeloma cell, used to manufacture monoclonal antibodies.
"Researchers screened thousands of hybridomas to identify one that produced the desired antibody."
"Each hybridoma was tested to determine which antibodies it secreted."
"The monoclonal antibody was obtained from a cultured hybridoma cell line."
The plural is used when referring to multiple fused cell lines or individual antibody-producing cell clones.
"The laboratory maintained several hybridomas derived from different B lymphocytes."
A hybridoma joins the antibody-making ability of an immune cell with the indefinite growth of a cancer cell, enabling researchers to produce large quantities of one specific antibody.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hybridoma come from?
The word combines the English element “hybrid,” ultimately derived from Greek hýbridos, with the combining form “-oma,” associated with swelling or a tumour. The compound was developed in the late twentieth century for cells formed by joining two different biological cell lines. Its development became closely associated with the method for producing monoclonal antibodies, making the term a standard part of immunology and biotechnology.
How hybridoma is actually used
The term is primarily used in immunology, biotechnology, and cancer research. It is most commonly associated with the production of monoclonal antibodies, although hybridomas can also be used to study other cellular products.