The field of antibody engineering has become a vital and integral part of making new, improved next generation therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, of which there are currently more than 300 in clinical trials across several therapeutic areas. Therapeutic antibody engineering examines all aspects of engineering monoclonal antibodies and analyses the effect that various genetic engineering approaches will have on future candidates. Chapters in the first part of the book provide an introduction to monoclonal antibodies, their discovery and development and the fundamental technologies used in their production. Following chapters cover a number of specific issues relating to different aspects of antibody engineering, including variable chain engineering, targets and mechanisms of action, classes of antibody and the use of antibody fragments, among many other topics. The last part of the book examines development issues, the interaction of human IgGs with non-human systems, and cell line development, before a conclusion looking at future issues affecting the field of therapeutic antibody engineering. - Goes beyond the standard engineering issues covered by most books and delves into structure-function relationships - Integration of knowledge across all areas of antibody engineering, development, and marketing - Discusses how current and future genetic engineering of cell lines will pave the way for much higher productivity

The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS) petitioned the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on April 23, 1997, to prohibit the use of animals in the production of mAb. On September 18, 1997, NIH declined to prohibit the use of mice in mAb production, stating that "the ascites method of mAb production is scientifically appropriate for some research projects and cannot be replaced." On March 26, 1998, AAVS submitted a second petition, stating that "NIH failed to provide valid scientific reasons for not supporting a proposed ban." The office of the NIH director asked the National Research Council to conduct a study of methods of producing mAb. In response to that request, the Research Council appointed the Committee on Methods of Producing Monoclonal Antibodies, to act on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the Commission on Life Sciences, to conduct the study. The 11 expert members of the committee had extensive experience in biomedical research, laboratory animal medicine, animal welfare, pain research, and patient advocacy (Appendix B). The committee was asked to determine whether there was a scientific necessity for the mouse ascites method; if so, whether the method caused pain or distress; and, if so, what could be done to minimize the pain or distress. The committee was also asked to comment on available in vitro methods; to suggest what acceptable scientific rationale, if any, there was for using the mouse ascites method; and to identify regulatory requirements for the continued use of the mouse ascites method. The committee held an open data-gathering meeting during which its members summarized data bearing on those questions. A 1-day workshop (Appendix A) was attended by 34 participants, 14 of whom made formal presentations. A second meeting was held to finalize the report. The present report was written on the basis of information in the literature and information presented at the meeting and the workshop.

The fourth edition of The Immunoassay Handbook provides an excellent, thoroughly updated guide to the science, technology and applications of ELISA and other immunoassays, including a wealth of practical advice. It encompasses a wide range of methods and gives an insight into the latest developments and applications in clinical and veterinary practice and in pharmaceutical and life science research. Highly illustrated and clearly written, this award-winning reference work provides an excellent guide to this fast-growing field. Revised and extensively updated, with over 30% new material and 77 chapters, it reveals the underlying common principles and simplifies an abundance of innovation. The Immunoassay Handbook reviews a wide range of topics, now including lateral flow, microsphere multiplex assays, immunohistochemistry, practical ELISA development, assay interferences, pharmaceutical applications, qualitative immunoassays, antibody detection and lab-on-a-chip. This handbook is a must-read for all who use immunoassay as a tool, including clinicians, clinical and veterinary chemists, biochemists, food technologists, environmental scientists, and students and researchers in medicine, immunology and proteomics. It is an essential reference for the immunoassay industry. Provides an excellent revised guide to this commercially highly successful technology in diagnostics and research, from consumer home pregnancy kits to AIDS testing.www.immunoassayhandbook.com is a great resource that we put a lot of effort into. The content is designed to encourage purchases of single chapters or the entire book. David Wild is a healthcare industry veteran, with experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and immunodiagnostics, which remains his passion. He worked for Amersham, Eastman-Kodak, Johnson & Johnson, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and consulted for diagnostics and biotechnology companies. He led research and development programs, design and construction of chemical and biotechnology plants, and integration of acquired companies. Director-level positions included Research and Development, Design Engineering, Operations and Strategy, for billion dollar businesses. He retired from full-time work in 2012 to focus on his role as Editor of The Immunoassay Handbook, and advises on product development, manufacturing and marketing. - Provides a unique mix of theory, practical advice and applications, with numerous examples - Offers explanations of technologies under development and practical insider tips that are sometimes omitted from scientific papers - Includes a comprehensive troubleshooting guide, useful for solving problems and improving assay performancee - Provides valuable chapter updates, now available on www.immunoassayhandbook.com

Handbook of Immunoassay Technologies: Approaches, Performances, and Applications unravels the role of immunoassays in the biochemical sciences. During the last four decades, a wide range of immunoassays has been developed, ranging from the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, to the smartphone-based point-of-care formats. The advances in rapid biochemical procedures, novel biosensing schemes, fully integrated lab-on-a-chip platforms, prolonged biomolecular storage strategies, device miniaturization and interfacing, and emerging smart system technologies equipped with personalized mobile healthcare tools are paving the way to next-generation immunoassays, and are all discussed in this comprehensive text. Immunoassays play a prominent role in clinical diagnostics as they are the eyes of healthcare professionals, helping them make informed clinical decisions via confirmed disease diagnosis, and thus enabling favorable health outcomes. The faster and reliable diagnosis of infections will further control their spread to uninfected persons. Similarly, immunoassays play a prominent role in veterinary diagnostics, food analysis, environmental monitoring, defense and security, and other bioanalytical settings. Therefore, they enable the detection of a plethora of analytes, which includes disease biomarkers, pathogens, drug impurities, environmental contaminants, allergens, food adulterants, drugs of abuse and various biomolecules. - Provides a valuable increase of understanding of cellular and biomedical functions - Gives the most updated resource in the field of immunoassays, providing the comprehensive details of various types of immunoassays that need to be performed in healthcare, and in industrial, environmental and other biochemical settings - Discusses all multifarious aspects of immunoassays - Describes the immunoassay formats, along with their principle of operation, characteristics, pros and cons, and potential biochemical and bioanalytical applications - Provides extensive knowledge and guided insights as detailed by experienced, renowned experts and key opinion makers in the field of immunoassays

This book explores the journey of biotechnology, searching for new avenues and noting the impressive accomplishments to date. It has harmonious blend of facts, applications and new ideas. Fast-paced biotechnologies are broadly applied and are being continuously explored in areas like the environmental, industrial, agricultural and medical sciences. The sequencing of the human genome has opened new therapeutic opportunities and enriched the field of medical biotechnology while analysis of biomolecules using proteomics and microarray technologies along with the simultaneous discovery and development of new modes of detection are paving the way for ever-faster and more reliable diagnostic methods. Life-saving bio-pharmaceuticals are being churned out at an amazing rate, and the unraveling of biological processes has facilitated drug designing and discovery processes. Advances in regenerative medical technologies (stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, and gene therapy) look extremely promising, transcending the limitations of all existing fields and opening new dimensions for characterizing and combating diseases.

This book gives a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements and developments of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and technologies, which are quite novel approaches and might be used as laboratory bench manual for the rapid diagnosis of the various disease conditions. The book focuses on various aspects and properties of RDTs, point-of-care tests (POCTs), quality control, assurance, calibration, safety, nano-/microfluidic technologies, and fusion with DNA technologies. I hope that this work might increase the interest in this field of research and that the readers will find it useful for their investigations, management, and clinical usage.