The present invention relates to the field of teaching aids, and provides a kit for use in an educational exercise. More specifically, the present invention provides a kit that will aid in teaching students about antibodies through a hands-on classroom or laboratory exercise.
Antibodies are studied in courses on immunology, and numerous texts on the subject are available. See, e.g., Abbas et al., Cellular and molecular immunology 2.sup.nd ed., (New York: W. B. Sanders)(1994); and Benjamini & Leskowitz, Immunology, a short course, second edition, (New York: Wiley-Liss)(1992). Student laboratory experiments and exercises associated with such courses, however, tend to be somewhat limited. This is perhaps due in part to the obvious risks associated with exposing students to the types of pathogens that would be appropriate subjects of study.
Antibodies are proteins produced by an animal's immune system to defend the body against damage from foreign matter that has somehow been introduced into the tissue or bloodstream of the animal. When the body is invaded by a foreign agent--whether it is microbial, a chemical substance, or a larger structure such as dust or a pollen grain--one of the most powerful biological mechanisms for eliminating it is through the production of an antibody. The antibody is a protein that recognizes a specific stereochemical molecular shape borne by the invader (termed an antigen, which is taken from ANTIbody GENerating molecule). The antigenic site may be an entire molecule, a part of a molecule or structure, or a partially degraded by-product of the invader.
Antibodies belong to a class of proteins called immunoglobulins (abbreviated Ig). There are five subclasses of structurally distinct immunoglobulins: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, and IgE. In humans, these five subclasses account for literally millions, perhaps even billions of different antibodies to defend against virtually any antigens our bodies might encounter. The specificity of each antibody comes from its unique amino-acid sequence. However, it would place an impossible burden on our genomes to carry all the genes necessary to code for this multitude of proteins. In fact, research has shown that only a small number of human genes actually code for the immunoglobulins. How the human body is capable of generating such a large number of different proteins from a relatively small number of genes is now being resolved at the molecular level.
Several teaching aids and educational games have been developed for use by students to learn about various aspects of immunology or immunology-related disorders such as AIDS. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,215,309 and 4,121,823 disclose board games designed to educate the players concerning immune responses or the lack thereof and associated diseases. Neither of these, however, focus on the structure/function relationship of antibodies and antigens at the molecular level, nor do they provide tools for hands-on experimentation by the students. U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,100 discloses another board game and describes fixed-shape, three dimensional lymphocyte cards and antigens that are designed to physically interlock; the creation of the shape of the antibody, however, is not a part of the game. Other known teaching aids related to antibodies do provide a hands-on approach. One involves students grabbing different color balloons to demonstrate the antibody/antigen affinity. See, Scott, Using Balloons to Teach Immunology, published by the American Association of Immunologists at http://www.scienceXchange.com/aai/educating/using.htm. Another uses styrofoam spheres and VELCRO.RTM. pieces in shoe boxes to demonstrate the antibody/antigen binding phenomenon. See, Burtson, Antibody Capture Simulation, (1995) published by the American Association of Immunologists at http://www.scienceXchange.com/aai/committees/education/antibody.htm. Once again, these aids provide little detail relative to the structure and sub-structures of antibodies at the molecular level. O,Kennedy, A simple model system to demonstrate antibody structure and function, J. of Biological Education, 25(1):5 (1991), discloses a model system utilizing flexible tubing and bolts to demonstrate antibody structure, but does not include any components representative of antigens or the antibody/antigen complex. Baker et al., A Simple ELISA Exercise for Undergraduate Biology, Educational Resources Information Center, U.S. Dept. of Education, No. ED 396952 (1996), discloses a model to demonstrate the Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA), but such model does not include components representative of the four interconnected polypeptide chains of the antibody nor does it permit their rearrangement to demonstrate antibody diversity. Teaching aids that are designed to simulate the molecular bonding of nucleotides or base pairs in the formation of DNA are marketed. See, e.g., DNA Model Kit, by KD Biographics, San Diego, Calif.; and Chromosome Simulation Biokit, by Carolina Biological Supply Company, Burlington, N.C. These products, however, deal with DNA, a nucleic acid that is structurally and chemically quite different from antibody proteins which are the subject matter of the teaching aid of the present invention. There is a need, therefore, for a hands-on teaching aid to reinforce lecture and textbook teaching on the subject of antibody molecular structure and function.