A genetic immunization technique for making high-quality antibodies faster and cheaper than by conventional methods has been developed by scientists at Mirus Bio Corporation.

The process was described in the February issue of the journal Bio Techniques which consists of an innovative new method of intravenously injecting DNA into animals, whose immune systems respond by producing antibodies that can be harvested for subsequent use.

The human immune system has antibodies that can bind to and neutralize specific antigens, such as proteins, viruses, and cancer cells: A property that made antibodies useful tools in medical diagnosis and scientific research for target treatments of major diseases like cancer.

Conventional methods of generating antibodies require the slow process of identifying, isolating, and purifying the protein which serves as the target antigen. The resulting protein is then injected into animals to elicit an antibody response, after which the antibodies are harvested and used for their intended purpose. However, due to the processes employed, such purified proteins may not be identical to the natural antigenic protein, and therefore may not be as potent at eliciting an immune response. They can also be very difficult to manufacture. The cost and uncertainty of this process, both in dollars and time, represent significant hurdles.

The new technique developed at Mirus Bio bypasses these hurdles and enables research animals to naturally produce antigenic proteins that elicit a potent antibody response. This offers a higher quality antibody in less time at reduced cost.

Jon A. Wolff, M.D., Mirus Bio's Chief Scientific Officer believes that this represents yet another breakthrough application of Mirus Bio's nucleic acid delivery portfolio.

The research tool is available for licensing for those who wish to use it within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, either for internal research or as part of a commercial antibody production service.

Source: [Mirus Bio News]

Photo Credit: [Nature]