Monoclonal Antibodies Against Bacteria

Monoclonal Antibodies against Bacteria, Volume I explores the generation, characterization, and utilization of monoclonal antibodies against bacteria and on other monoclonal products relevant to antibacterial immune responses. Organized into 12 chapters, this book begins with a discussion on monoclonal antibodies against bacteria, encompassing its scope, research, and directions. It shows that the coordinated use of antisera and panels of monoclonal antibodies is proving useful for classification as a diagnostic tool with prognostic implications in the case of pathogens, or as a preliminary st ...

Monoclonal Antibodies Against Bacteria, Volume II provides the basis for understanding new developments of practical importance in the health sciences within the area of microbiology and infectious diseases, focusing on advances made possible by monoclonal antibodies. This 12-chapter volume starts with the analysis of streptococcal antigens implicated in the causation of rheumatic fever and heart disease to find ways of inducing protective immunity. The next chapters deal with the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins in foods and treatment of staphylococcal food poisoning, the classification of meningococcal isolates associated with meningitis and related disorders, and the immunology of brucellosis with emphasis on the problem of distinguishing antibrucella antibodies elicited by vaccination of cattle from antibodies elicited by infection. These topics are followed by discussions of the diagnostic and epidemiologic studies of legionellosis; the identification of antigens in gram-negative bacteria; and the development of means to study and control infections by Pseudomonas in cystic fibrosis and other pathologic conditions. Other chapters explore the analysis of toxigenicity and neutralization of botulinum toxin, the pathogenetic role of Escherichia coli's pili, and study of its antigens to understand regulatory networks of the immune system involving antiidiotypic antibodies. The remaining chapters consider the elucidation of antigenic mosaics of archaebacteria and identification of their molecular signatures in their ecological niches and other life forms. These chapters also look into the combination of bacterial genetics with hybridoma technology for elucidating structure-function relationships in membrane molecules, as well as the strategies, methods, quality control, and other practical aspects connected with industrial production of monoclonal antibodies against bacteria. This book will prove useful to internists, pediatricians, surgeons, dentists, veterinarians, clinical pathologists, and laboratory technologists.

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.

Monoclonal Antibodies against Bacteria, Volume I explores the generation, characterization, and utilization of monoclonal antibodies against bacteria and on other monoclonal products relevant to antibacterial immune responses. Organized into 12 chapters, this book begins with a discussion on monoclonal antibodies against bacteria, encompassing its scope, research, and directions. It shows that the coordinated use of antisera and panels of monoclonal antibodies is proving useful for classification as a diagnostic tool with prognostic implications in the case of pathogens, or as a preliminary step in taxonomy. Also, monoclonal antibodies hold great potential as instruments in working with bacteria for industrial or biotechnological purposes, including genetic engineering. This book also elucidates the use of monoclonal antibodies of predefined molecular specificity for tracing molecular ""signatures"" left by a given strain in other microorganisms, subcellular structures, and materials from ecologic niches. The possibility of antibacterial and antitoxin therapies with monoclonal antibodies is also addressed. This treatise will be a valuable reference work to anyone working with monoclonal antibodies or getting ready to prepare them against the strain(s) (or bacterial structures) of his/her interest.

State-of-the-art reviews covering major aspects of antibodies and intervention against infectious diseases The connection between antibodies and infectious diseases has spawned entire related fields of study. Antibodies for Infectious Diseases presents perspectives from leading research scientists and summarizes the amazing progress in this area into a single definitive source. Providing a broad survey of the most important aspects of the field of antibodies for infectious diseases, this book presents general features pertaining to structure, function, isotype, and the role of complement in antibody function examines the role of antibodies in antimicrobial immunity with specific targets details new methods for expression of monoclonal antibodies, in plants or by transfer of antibody genes for in vivo expression in treated subjects Antibodies for Infectious Diseases is a comprehensive reference for researchers, pharmaceutical developers, and health care professionals on the status of the development of antibody-based therapies for treating infectious diseases. It is also useful as supplemental reading for upper level life sciences students.