Roland Kontermann Bücher

Interest in recombinant antibody technologies has rapidly increased because of its wide range of possible applications in therapy, diagnosis, and especially, cancer treatment. The possibility of generating human antibodies that are not accessible by conventional polyclonal or monoclonal approaches has facilitated the development of antibody engineering technologies. This manual presents a comprehensive collection of detailed step-by-step protocols, provided by experts. The text covers all basic methods needed in antibody engineering as well as recently developed and emerging technologies.

Antibodies are indispensable tools for research, diagnosis, and therapy. Recombinant approaches allow the modification and improvement of nearly all antibody properties, such as affinity, valency, specificity, stability, serum half-life, effector functions, and immunogenicity. „Antibody Engineering“ provides a comprehensive toolbox covering the well-established basics but also many exciting new techniques. The protocols reflect the latest „hands on“ knowledge of key laboratories in this still fast-moving field. Newcomers will benefit from the proven step-by-step protocols, which include helpful practical advice; experienced antibody engineers will appreciate the new ideas and approaches. The book is an invaluable resource for all those engaged in antibody research and development.

For this ready reference, the internationally renowned authority in the field, Roland Kontermann, has assembled a team of outstanding contributors from industry and academia to convey the worldwide knowledge on modifying therapeutic proteins in order to optimize their pharmacological potential. The result is a comprehensive work covering all approaches and aspects of the topic in one handy volume, making this indispensable reading for companies and research institutions working on the development of biopharmaceuticals.

The concept of using bispecific antibodies for cancer therapy by retargeting immune effector cells was developed several years ago. Initial clinical studies were rather disappointing mainly due to low efficacy, severe side effects and the immunogenicity of the bispecific antibodies. The progress in antibody engineering finally led to the generation of new classes of bispecific antibodies lacking these obstacles. In addition, new applications were established, such as pre-targeting strategies in radioimmunotherapy and dual targeting approaches in order to improve binding, selectivity and efficacy. In this book, the different ways of generating bispecific antibodies are described, with emphasis on recombinant formats. The various applications of bispecific antibodies, e. g. in cellular cancer immunotherapy, radioimmunotherapy and pretargeting strategies are covered, and emerging applications such as dual targeting strategies, which involve the simultaneous inhibition of two targets, are addressed.