Antibody Affinity Maturation Service

Antibody affinity maturation in vivo is the process by which antibodies gain increased affinity, avidity, and anti-pathogen activity and is the result of somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes in B cells, coupled to selection for antigen binding. This iterative process occurs in germinal centers, structures within secondary lymphoid tissues, and proceeds for weeks after acute infection or vaccination, or for many cycles during chronic infection. The resulting antibodies can be highly mutated from their germline-encoded counterparts, with increases of several orders of magnitude in affinity for antigen compared to the corresponding naïve B cell receptors.

Oak BioSciences has developed a pipeline for antibody in vitro affinity maturation based on the principles of mutation and selection (panning). Our in vitro affinity maturation service has successfully been used to optimize antibodies, antibody fragments or other peptide molecules, such as antibody mimetics. Random mutations inside the CDRs are introduced using V-fusion PCR cloning technologies. Chain shuffling is used to increase the genetical diversity. Two or three rounds of mutation and selection (panning) usually results in antibody fragments with affinities in the low nanomolar range (5-1,000 fold increase).

For detailed pricing information, please contact us for a custom quotation.