Comparative Immunoglobulin Genetics PDF

PREFACE

Antibodies are nature's most wonderful molecules and one of the most studied proteins that have found application in therapeutics, clinical diagnosis, and immunodiagnostics. The development of somatic cell fusion hybridoma technology, followed by a revolution in recombinant DNA techniques, has helped advance knowledge of antibody structure and function. Once immunogenetics of antibody unfolded, it broke the widely prevalent dogma of "one gene one protein" of the time. Given whole genome sequencing assembly of vertebrates and its annotation, including humans, it would permit development of desired tailor-made specific antibody-based drugs, vaccines, and antibody drug conjugates for a patient-specific therapy and new measures for disease prevention.

Initially, most of the studies focused on mouse immunoglobulin genetics from which inferences drawn were generalized. But as studies emerged from a variety of other species, from sea lamprey to man, novel perspectives originated that provided new schools of thought and opened new opportunities for a fast developing area of antibody design and engineering strategies. The current volume is an attempt to focus on this newly developed knowledge and the emerging concepts from comparative immunoglobulin genetics perspectives, from species other than mice and humans.