vendredi 14 février 2014

All About Polyclonal Antibodies

By Armand Zeiders


Antibodies are a type of protein produced by our bodies to fight disease. Specific white blood cells, known as plasma cells, secrete these antibodies which basically head out on a search and destroy mission, searching for bacteria and viruses. This process is a function of our immune system.

There are thousands of viruses and bacterial infections currently being studied by scientists. These medical experts seek to understand the structure of specific diseases and also search for ways to fight the disease by either creating new vaccines or medicines. In order to study these diseases, polyclonal antibodies are created.

To form a polyclonal antibody, highly trained laboratory workers will begin by injecting a lab rat or perhaps a mouse with an antigen. An antigen is simply a toxin that forces a body's immune system to react and create antibodies to fight the antigen. Once the antigen has been attacked and polyclonal antibodies have been formed, a blood sample is taken from the animal, and the polyclonal antibodies will then be properly purified and can be used to study the effect they have on a bacterial infection or a virus.

While scientists study the effects, the actual work of creating the polyclonal antibody is typically completed by a specialized lab that produces important medical specimens for research purposes. These labs offer a variety of helpful services such as creating an antibody using proteins and antigens given to them by the research team or perhaps against recombinant protein or even against synthetic peptides. There are many options available, and the process of creating these polyclonal antibodies generally takes a lab about seven weeks to complete.

By studying these polyclonal antibodies, scientists create new vaccines and new antiserums to combat deadly diseases such as Ebola. There are five different known forms of Ebola, and some types have a mortality rate higher than 90%. Epidemics of Ebola have killed thousands of people worldwide, and even three lab workers have been killed after coming into contact with this highly toxic virus.

Currently, there is no vaccine or medicine that can cure or eliminate Ebola, although scientists are working diligently to find a cure or at the very least an antiserum for Ebola. An antiserum has been created using polyclonal antibodies, and has been shown to be the only effective treatment for the disease, although there has not been widespread success with this antiserum. It is hoped that by using polyclonal antibodies, medical researchers will be able to develop an antiserum that is effective and easy to replicate so that it can be used to treat millions of people successfully. It is also hoped that polyclonal antibodies can be the source of vaccines and medicines for many other diseases as well.




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