The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research

Following Important Leads

Antibodies and Cancer

Antibodies are proteins produced by the body’s immune system that are directed against antigens, which are usually associated with molecular components of foreign and infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria. Researchers can use laboratory-created antibodies, called monoclonal antibodies, in a similar manner to detect antigens in biological samples that may play a role in the development of cancer and thus may be good targets for new cancer therapies. Well-characterized antibodies may speed the identification of key proteins and peptides.

Computer graphic of tgf-beta, a cytokine that regulates many cellular functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion and migration.
NCI, Dr. Michael Sporn.

One of the most significant roadblocks of advanced molecular diagnostic techniques like proteomics is a lack of high-quality and well-characterized reagents. This barrier was recognized by the NCI, which led to the development of the Antibody Characterization Laboratory. The Antibody Characterization Laboratory at NCI’s laboratories in Frederick, Md., part of the Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer initiative, performs sophisticated testing to analyze and validate antibodies — highly critical tools used in research and diagnostic laboratories around the world.

“As industry and academia invest significant resources in the promise of proteomics and ultimately molecular-based tools, well-characterized antibodies will be vital to advancing these disciplines,” said Henry Rodriguez, Ph.D., who directs NCI’s Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer initiative. “This is especially true of proteomics, where an antibody can be used to recognize a unique protein in the midst of millions of other proteins that the human proteome comprises.”