samedi 1 février 2014

Antibody Validation: Some Facts You Need To Know

By Armand Zeiders


For biologists and medical researchers, antibodies are one of the most important tools used for research. While our bodies produce these proteins naturally, most of the antibodies used for research are custom monoclonal antibodies or custom polyclonal antibodies created in a laboratory by a biotechnology firm.

One problem sets in however despite the custom antibody service being a good help. You see, when it comes to the assurance of a validated antibody, there really is no universal guidelines which have been set. What this implies is that the antibodies created by one biotech firm do not necessarily assure you of the very same kind produced by other biotech firms. It is then left to the hands of the researchers to ensure that the reagents are indeed the specific antibodies necessary to assure the research of a valid result and that these antibodies are also selective and reproducible.

Furthermore, while prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines undergo a vast amount of scrutiny and study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there are no federal guidelines for determining the validation of these antibodies and no government agency enforcing any kind of standard. This means that scientists and researchers must be very selective about where they procure these antibodies, and that they must perform their own validation on these antibodies to ensure that they are created by a reliable source.

In determining the validity of the antibody, one testing method which can be used is the Rimm Lab algorithm. A Western blot or protein immunoblot analysis is being utilized in this particular method in order to determine validity. This process actually comes inclusive of several steps before it can be concluded that you are able to determine if the antibody you have comes from one reliable source. The first of which is the determination of antibody specificity and to further go, a tissue microarray is used for validation.

The reason behind the need to secure a reputable source for custom monoclonal and custom polyclonal antibodies is the fact that studies regarding them can significantly impact mankind and present boundless possibilities. Make sure then that the biotech firm you trust is one with a clearly given and proven protocol in terms of the antibodies' validation.

For example, a biotech firm should test the quality of the antibody through the use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA. This should be just one part of the quality-control check completed by the biotech company. Use of pre-immune sera also can establish the specificity of the antibody. The firm that you use for your antibody service also should guarantee their work, but it is still essential that labs test these antibodies, perhaps by using the aforementioned Rimm Lab Algorithm.




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