#phage display

Timely Recognition

Born on this day in 1951, Sir Greg Winter pioneered the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in treating human diseases. mAbs are tiny protein structures which recognise and latch on to specific molecules, perhaps on the surface of pathogens like bacteria and viruses but also on unhealthy cells like cancers. Professor Winter asked: what if antibodies could guide drugs to block diseases? His team worked to develop mAbs to recognise specific human proteins, first by 'humanising' mouse mAbs, then later producing fully human antibodies using a method called phage display to 'screen' for the best fitting molecules. These biotechnologies have since inspired therapies for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer, saving many lives. Professor Winter, who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018, says he is a “good scientist who was lucky” – perhaps an inspiration to other hard-working researchers waiting for their own big discovery.

Written by John Ankers

Image by Bengt Nyman on Flickr, December 2018

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018 to Frances H. Arnold, George P. Smith and Gregory P. Winter. One half of the prize goes to Arnold while the other half is shared by Smith and Winter.

Arnold was awarded for her work in directing evolution of enzymes. Her methods are being routinely used to make new catalysts.

Smith was given the honour for…

  Purpose of antibody screening

Antibodies are also called immunoglobulins which are a largely y shaped proteins which function to identify and help to remove foreign antigens such as viruses and bacteria. Antibodies exist freely in the bloodstream or are bounded to the cell membranes, in other words they are said to be the part of the humoral immune system. 

Monoclonal antibody is a laboratory produced molecule that is carefully engineered to attach to specific defects in cancer cells. NHL is a serious affection which occurs due to the presence of B cells, a type of white blood cells which lead to severe complications such as tumors. Monoclonal antibody has been found safe and effective method for certain patients. This type of monoclonal antibody drugs are relatively a new innovation in cancer treatment and are identical because they are produced by one type of immune cell, all clones to a single parent.

  Production of Monoclonal antibody:

•             They are produced from just one cell line, for the production of monoclonal antibody a B lymphocyte is fused with a tumor cell and this fused cell is known as hybridoma which has the capability of reproducing endlessly. With the help of this technology it is possible to create unlimited and large quantities of specific antibody which are used to treat diseases effectively.

Advantages of Monoclonal antibody:

•             Absolute specificity

Uses:

•             Monoclonal antibodies are widely used as diagnostic and research reagents

The main goal of antibody screening is to detect unexpected clinically significant red cell antibodies. These antibodies are called unexpected because only 0.3 to 2% of the general population have positive antibody screen.

Phage display can be simply explained as the process of displaying peptides or proteins on the surface of bacteriophages. Phage display was first explained by George P Smith in 1985. Phage display can be used for the selection of proteins, peptides or antibodies with affinity and specificity to a molecule or protein. It can also be helpful for preservation of unstable hybridoma clones and to identify molecules that can be recognized. The main purpose of phase display is to determine proteins that will interact with disease causing molecules with the intent of disarming these molecules and curing or weakening the disease. 

Process of phage display consists of:

•             Selecting binding entities with high affinity and high specificity to a target from the phase display libraries

•             Producing and evaluating the selected binging entities to choose therapeutic leads

Advantages of phage display:

•             Diversity and abundance

•             High speed and cost effective

•             Automated parallel screening

•             Rapid optimization

The aim of phase display

Monoclonal antibody is often a therapy which has been developed in the laboratories by specialists to manage NHL (Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma). Monoclonal antibody is often a laboratory produced molecule which is carefully engineered to attach to specific defects in cancer cells. NHL is a significant affection that takes place as a result of presence of B cells, a type of white blood cells that lead to severe complications like tumors. Monoclonal antibody has been found safe and effective method for sure patients. Such a monoclonal antibody drugs are going to be relatively a new innovation in cancer treatment. Monoclonal antibodies have been produced in laboratories like a lot of other antibodies and have the role in producing anti-tumor effects. The treatment with monoclonal antibody has bought ends in healing lymphoma. Monoclonal antibody therapy is the usage of monoclonal antibodies to specifically bind to target cells otherwise proteins. This will then stimulate the patient’s immune system to attack those cells. Monoclonal antibodies are trusted as diagnostic & research reagents. Monoclonal antibodies mimic the antibodies that the body naturally makes as part of your immune system’s response to germs, vaccines and other invaders. Numerous monoclonal antibody drugs can be found to manage various kinds of cancers.

Antibody screening is the strategy of determining the presence and quantity of anti-HLA antibodies within the serum of a potential allograft. The antibody screening consists of testing the recipient serum otherwise plasma against 2 or else three screening cells. The main objective of antibody screening should be to detect unexpected clinically major red cell antibodies. These antibodies are called unexpected because simply 0.3 to 2% of the overall population have positive antibody screen.