This book summarizes recent advances in antibody glycosylation research. Covering major topics relevant for immunoglobulin glycosylation - analytical methods, biosynthesis and regulation, modulation of effector functions - it provides new perspectives for research and development in the field of therapeutic antibodies, biomarkers, vaccinations, and immunotherapy. Glycans attached to both variable and constant regions of antibodies are known to affect the antibody conformation, stability, and effector functions. Although it focuses on immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most explored antibody in this context, and unravels the natural phenomena resulting from the mixture of IgG glycovariants present in the human body, the book also discusses other classes of human immunoglobulins, as well as immunoglobulins produced in other species and production systems. Further, it reviews the glycoanalytical methods applied to antibodies and addresses a range of less commonly explored topics, such as automatization and bioinformatics aspects of high-throughput antibody glycosylation analysis. Lastly, the book highlights application areas ranging from the ones already benefitting from antibody glycoengineering (such as monoclonal antibody production), to those still in the research stages (such as exploration of antibody glycosylation as a clinical or biological age biomarker), and the potential use of antibody glycosylation in the optimization of vaccine production and immunization protocols. Summarizing the current knowledge on the broad topic of antibody glycosylation and its therapeutic and biomarker potential, this book will appeal to a wide biomedical readership in academia and industry alike. Chapter 4 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Antibody Fc is the first single text to synthesize the literature on the mechanisms underlying the dramatic variability of antibodies to influence the immune response. The book demonstrates the importance of the Fc domain, including protective mechanisms, effector cell types, genetic data, and variability in Fc domain function. This volume is a critical single-source reference for researchers in vaccine discovery, immunologists, microbiologists, oncologists and protein engineers as well as graduate students in immunology and vaccinology. Antibodies represent the correlate of protection for numerous vaccines and are the most rapidly growing class of drugs, with applications ranging from cancer and infectious disease to autoimmunity. Researchers have long understood the variable domain of antibodies, which are responsible for antigen recognition, and can provide protection by blocking the function of their target antigen. However, recent developments in our understanding of the protection mediated by antibodies have highlighted the critical nature of the antibody constant, or Fc domain, in the biological activity of antibodies. The Fc domain allows antibodies to link the adaptive and innate immune systems, providing specificity to a wide range of innate effector cells. In addition, they provide a feedback loop to regulate the character of the immune response via interactions with B cells and antigen-presenting cells. - Clarifies the different mechanisms of IgG activity at the level of the different model systems used, including human genetic, mouse, and in vitro - Covers the role of antibodies in cancer, infectious disease, and autoimmunity and in the setting of monoclonal antibody therapy as well as naturally raised antibodies - Color illustrations enhance explanations of the immune system

Sugar chains (glycans) are often attached to proteins and lipids and have multiple roles in the organization and function of all organisms. "Essentials of Glycobiology" describes their biogenesis and function and offers a useful gateway to the understanding of glycans.

Glyco-engineering is being developed as a method to control the composition of carbohydrates and to enhance the pharmacological properties of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and other proteins. In Glycosylation Engineering of Biopharmaceuticals: Methods and Protocols, experts in the field provide readers with production and characterization protocols of glycoproteins and glyco-engineered biopharmaceuticals with a focus on mAbs. The volume is divided in four complementary parts dealing with glyco-engineering of therapeutic proteins, glycoanalytics, glycoprotein complexes characterization, and PK/PD assays for therapeutic antibodies. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Glycosylation Engineering of Biopharmaceuticals: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for scientists striving to push forward the exciting field of engineered biopharmaceuticals.

Engineered antibodies currently represent over 30% of biopharmaceuticals in clinical trials and their total worldwide sales continue to increase significantly. The importance of antibody applications is reflected in their increasing clinical and industrial applications as well as in the progression of established and emerging production strategies. This volume provides detailed coverage of the generation, optimization, characterization, production and applications of antibody. It provides the necessary theoretical background and description of methods for the expression of antibody in microbial and animal cell cultures and in transgenic animals and plants. There is a strong focus on those issues related to the production of intrabodies, bispecific antibody and antibody fragments and also to novel applications in cancer immunotherapy.

Conceived with the intention of providing an array of strategies and technologies currently in use for glyco-engineering distinct living organisms, this book contains a wide range of methods being developed to control the composition of carbohydrates and the properties of proteins through manipulations on the production host rather than in the protein itself. The first five sections deal with host-specific glyco-engineering and contain chapters that provide protocols for modifications of the glycosylation pathway in bacteria, yeast, insect, plants and mammalian cells, while the last two sections explore alternative approaches to host glyco-engineering and selected protocols for the analysis of the N-glycans and glyco-profiling by mass spectrometry. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and extensive, Glyco-Engineering: Methods and Protocols offers vast options to help researchers to choose the expression system and approach that best suits their intended protein research or applications.

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