2010 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 19-28
In the last few decades, numerous antibodies have increasingly contributed to identifying protein-protein interactions which significantly advanced experimental research such as understanding cell signaling pathways. In addition, a number of antibodies have been developed for antibody therapeutics targeting specific molecules. It has been difficult, however, to produce anti-carbohydrate antibodies with high affinities since carbohydrates are self-antigens. To overcome this problem, we took advantage of phage-display technologies which make in vitro production of anti-carbohydrate antibodies possible. We have successfully obtained anti-carbohydrate antibodies with reasonably high affinities for reducing mannose residues or tumor-associated antigens. Phage-display technologies are excellent in obtaining genes of such antibodies. However, for further improving the affinities or designing and constructing chimeric molecules for example, production, purification and characterization of the antibody proteins are the most critical steps in order to select the best-available antibodies which can be developed to be antibody therapeutics or diagonostics. In this review, we summarize not only the outcome of our in vitro production of anti-carbohydrate antibodies by the phage-display technology but also the major problems involved in expression of anti-carbohydrate antibodies in cells.
