Antibody Engineering

Antibody Engineering

Vaccine therapy based on adaptive immunity works by generating antibodies against the agents that resemble disease-causing microorganisms. These antibodies are capable of inhibiting antigen functions and can sometimes also increase the elimination of antigen and antigen-expressing cells (including cancer cells) by binding to the antigen itself and subsequently amplifying the body’s immune responses.

The antibodies are generally prepared by introducing the antigen into animals such as mice, rats, and rabbits. These antibodies are not yet available for clinical use because they are recognized as an external substance in humans and are eliminated from the body as a result. To overcome this issue, the antibodies are humanized by grafting CDRs (complementarity determining regions) that recognize the antigen. Our team works to generate these humanized antibodies through the use of amino acid sequences and 3D models. The humanized antibodies are selected based on druggability factors, including affinity, activity, specificity, and physicochemical properties.

Yoshimasa SAKAMOTO, Ph.D.mail
Principal Scientist

RESEARCH