Learning from sharks
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 19:33
in Biology & Nature
This is a model of the nurse shark's immunoglobulin new antigen receptor molecule containing two stabilization principles, which could be transferred to human anitbodies to receive enhansed stability. Custom-tailored antibodies are regarded as promising weapons against a multitude of serious illnesses. Since they can accurately recognize specific structures on the surface of viruses, bacteria or cancer cells, they are already being deployed successfully in cancer diagnostics and therapy, as well as against numerous other diseases. The stability of the sensitive antibodies is a decisive factor in every step, from production and storage to therapeutic application.