Polyclonal antibodies are What?

Like monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies help doctors in the treatment and location of certain types of medical tests. Although both types of antibodies have a similar function, are very different. If you are looking for polyclonal and more information, this article will provide a brief overview on the concept and what it does.

What are polyclonal antibodies?

Polyclonal antibodies are produced when a mammal is immunized. Normally you use a mouse, goat, or rabbit, but the use of large mammals have the ability to be advantageous since they provide a greater amount of blood plasma. When the antigen is injected, the resources of the B cell produce polyclonal antibodies, which are then taken from the plasma of animals and purified. A distinction of monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies are extracted from more than one cell line. These antibodies help doctors in medical practices.

How do you pick the animals?

Because animals are an essential part of the polyclonal antibodies, the choice is quite significant. As mentioned above, the animals used are mice, goats and rabbits, however, the choice is not limited only to these. Guinea pigs, hamsters, horses, and sheep are also known to be involved in the production of polyclonal antibodies. Animals should show the characteristics necessary for the production of antibodies, which is very important. If it requires a greater amount of blood plasma, using a large animal would be more beneficial because they produce a substantial amount of blood plasma. In this case, goats and horses are the best choice.

What are they used?

Polyclonal antibodies are very useful when it comes to blood test. These antibodies are bound to proteins, and because many blood disorders are precisely located by the presence of abnormal proteins in the blood, polyclonal antibodies can help doctors detect these diseases early. Polyclonal antibodies are also capable of being used to search for evidence of tissue specific antigens in different tissues of the body. The use of polyclonal antibodies in tissue test has also helped to characterize and detect breast cancer. Another fascinating use of polyclonal antibodies is their assistance in the treatment of venomous bites and stings.

While monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are quite efficient in the world of medicine, (antibodies) are produced quite differently and may be useful in different ways. Polyclonal antibodies are very useful both in blood tests as tests of tissues can also help diagnose serious illnesses.

Since you are informed about the creation and use of polyclonal antibodies, you can determine if they can be useful in aiding in the detection of disease, either you or a loved one. Always discuss these decisions with your doctor and if you believe that the polyclonal antibodies can benefit you.