There are many uses for custom antibodies in research, from developing therapeutics to their use in体外assays. Production of antibodies is a technically demanding and time-consuming process, and it’s critical to choose a supplier with a strong track record. Here, we talk with Rook Khajenouri – our antibody production specialist at Envigo – about some key factors to consider when using antibodies in research. Rook also discussed how highly skilled specialists at research organizations like Envigo can contribute at each stage of the production process, from initial decision making to scaled-up production.
The importance of quality antibodies
As Rook explains: “There is no doubt that antibodies are incredibly useful tools for both research and the clinic. They are used to diagnose and treat diseases, to perform bioanalysis of drugs and biological systems, they’re critical during the clinical development of therapeutics, and are highly beneficial as therapeutics themselves. However, it’s well recognized that antibodies will fail to deliver on their intended outcome if they’ve not been optimally produced.”
The issue is that the generation of antibodies is complex, and a variety of factors can impact each stage of the production process. These issues are discussed in more detailhere. It’s clear that without careful consideration of each step, the resulting antibody may not meet requirements and is likely to perform poorly on any number of characteristics. This results in a failure to generate consistent and reproducible data, with associated financial, regulatory, commercial, and scientific consequences.
幸运的是，与合同研究组织合作可以减轻这些风险。随着Rook亮点，“我们的实验室由高技能的人经营，他们一直在很长一段时间使用抗体。他们了解有必要对可以确定最终产品质量的所有因素的优化协议和前台考虑。我们的客户真正重视我们在规范和可行的时间尺寸下始终生产抗体的能力。“
我的研究申请是否需要多克隆或单克隆抗体？
Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are among the biggest selling therapeutics. Rook explains how these antibodies differ, “Immunoglobins, or antibodies, are Y-shaped molecules that are secreted by B cells with the aim of neutralizing antigens. It’s the means of producing these antibodies that classifies them as monoclonal (generated by identical B cells) or polyclonal (generated with different B cells).”
This means that monoclonal antibodies recognize only one epitope of an antigen, while polyclonal antibodies will have higher affinity to a particular antigen due to the recognition of multiple epitopes.
The benefits of using a monoclonal over a polyclonal antibody in research are that they are more homogenous and have greater batch-to-batch consistency. However, production of单克隆抗体requires different skills and processes. This can result in additional costs and time to generate batches.
Therefore, whether a polyclonal or monoclonal antibody is needed depends on the application, timescales governing a particular project, and whether stable cell lines already exist. One key benefit of working with a trusted provider when making these decisions is that customers can draw on the knowledge and experience of specialists to guide their choices. As Rook points out, “when we talk to our clients to really get to the bottom of what they need their antibody for, we usually end up providing truly customized solutions to the questions they’re seeking to answer.”
Whether researchers would like to follow standardized protocols, or develop new ones, Envigo’s processes are fully documented and traceable. A fuller description of our services can be foundhere. To speak with a specialist about your needs, pleasecontact us.