Anti-glycan antibodies are essential for basic research. Here, Creative Biolabs gives an introduction to the application of anti-glycan antibodies in glycan identification so as to detect and monitor the expression of specific carbohydrate determinants on cell-surface or in other biological samples.
Carbohydrates are composed of a large group of biomolecules with highly diverse structures and exist largely in the form of glycoconjugates on the cell surface or inside cells. Glycans present in glycoconjugates are implicated in a variety of important cellular processes. For instance, glycans on proteins can have a major impact on properties such as bioactivity, folding, trafficking, stability, and half-life. Besides, glycans on the cell surface can modulate the location and residency times of other proteins and can directly mediate cell-cell interactions. Pathogenic glycans can be recognized by receptors of the immune system, leading to immune responses to different pathogens. Moreover, aberrant glycosylation of proteins can contribute to various pathological events such as tumor metastasis and inflammation. Despite that carbohydrates are essential in many ways, the effects and roles of most carbohydrates are difficult to study. Anti-glycan antibodies, therefore, are urgently required to understand the role of carbohydrates/glycans in biological processes.
Fig.1 Detection of glycans on antibody arrays. (Chen, 2007)
Direct detection of glycans from complex biological samples is difficult, making it necessary to rely on the use of antibodies to detect and monitor the expression of carbohydrate antigens/determinants using techniques such as immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, Western blotting (WB), ELISA, and antibody arrays. The IHC staining can be used to locate the glycans on cell surface or tissues. WB and ELISA, however, can be used to semi-quantify or quantify the glycans in biological samples such as serum. Antibodies targeting various glycan determinants (e.g., O-glycans, N-glycans, glycolipids, Lewis antigens, ABH blood group antigens, glycosaminoglycans) can be used depending on research requirements. It has to be mentioned that the specificity of monoclonal antibodies to detect specific determinants depends on glycan representation and the appropriate concentrations.
Available anti-glycan antibodies cover a narrow set of the glycan families and epitopes. As an expert in antibody development and engineering, we now offer a comprehensive portfolio of anti-glycan antibody development, engineering, and detection services to our clients globally.
Creative Biolabs is a reliable and trustworthy research partner who is willing to work closely with you step by step to facilitate your anti-glycan antibody developing projects. Notably, our seasoned scientists are also utterly specialized in tailoring custom projects according to different requirements. If you are interested in our services, contact us to discuss your requirements.
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