How are monoclonal antibodies produced?

Monoclonal antibodies are produced through a process that involves the fusion of B cells, which are responsible for producing antibodies, with myeloma cells, which are cancerous cells that can replicate indefinitely. This fusion creates a hybridoma cell, which possesses the properties of both parent cells—specifically, the ability to produce a specific antibody from the B cell and the capability of unlimited growth from the myeloma cell.

This method allows for the production of a vast number of identical cells that all produce the same antibody, which is why these antibodies are referred to as "monoclonal." This specificity and uniformity make monoclonal antibodies extremely valuable in therapeutic and diagnostic applications, such as targeted cancer therapies and disease detection.

The other options do not accurately describe the method of producing monoclonal antibodies. Directly killing cancer cells, isolating cancerous proteins, or vaccinating against cancer do not involve the creation of hybridomas or the specific production of monoclonal antibodies. Instead, they are related to other aspects of cancer treatment and research but do not pertain to the generation of monoclonal antibodies.