Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T14:50:07.950Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

7 - Antibody Technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2021

Bal Ram Singh
Affiliation:
Institute of Advanced Sciences, USA
Raj Kumar
Affiliation:
Institute of Advanced Sciences, USA
Get access

Summary

Introduction to Immunochemical Techniques

Life on the earth has an abundance of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes, which apart from mutual symbiotic and survival connections contain several toxic and allergenic molecules that bring about imbalance in homeostasis. These substances have a variety of mechanisms to disturb the functioning of their host. To counter these threats, mammals developed a complex and evolutionary matured array of immune and defensive mechanisms to check or annihilate these substances without damaging their own tissues. In general, there are two mechanisms which permit recognition and destruction of microbial, toxic, or allergenic substances: 1) Innate response: This is the first line of defense against the invading pathogen or toxin, and 2) Adaptive response: The second line of defense. Although the adaptive responses are temporary, they leave a memory associated with this process and for a specific antigen. The organism resorts to the same defense mechanism when it encounters the same antigen again. The adaptive response has the capability to regulate immune memory, and create an effective and specific host response against invading pathogens, even decades after the first encounter.

For identification of foreign material, immunoglobulins (IgG) and antibodies are integral parts of adaptive immune response in mammals. IgGs are present in the tissues and fluids of all vertebrates. Research related to antibodies started way back in 1890, when Emil von Behring and Shibasabura Kitasato began to immunize infected animals against diptheria. According to the side-chain theory, proposed by Paul Ehrlich in 1900, the pathogens bind to their side-chain receptors. Then, the modern era of antibody research and discovery started with examination at the atomic level of details of its structure (in 1973) and invention of monoclonal antibodies (in 1975).

The formation of an antigen–antibody complex, is due to a very specific interaction between antibody and its antigen, and is the basis of all immunochemical based technology. An antigen in general, is an exogenous substance that elicits an immune response and is recognized by very specific antibodies produced by the immunological responses to counter the invading antigen. They are usually either proteins or polysaccharides of high molecular weight. However, small molecules can also function as antigens, such as polypeptides, lipids, and nucleic acids. These small molecules (haptens) may generate immune response by coupling themselves to a larger “carrier protein”, such as bovine serum albumin or hemocyanin or other synthetic matrices.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×