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[Monoclonal antibodies against human telomerase reverse transcriptase: preparation, characterization, and
Shaomin Yang1, Bo Zhang, Junmei Wang
1Department of Pathology, The Health Science Center of Peking University, Beijing 100083, China. zhangbo@mail.bjmu.edu.cn
Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi = Chinese Journal of Pathology
|April 17, 2002
Summary
Researchers developed specific monoclonal antibodies targeting human telomerase (hTERT) for cancer detection. These antibodies successfully identified hTERT in human cancer cells and tissues, showing promising diagnostic potential.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Oncology
Context:
- Telomerase plays a crucial role in cancer development and progression.
- Detecting human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression is vital for cancer diagnosis and research.
Purpose:
- To develop and characterize novel monoclonal antibodies against the catalytic subunit of human telomerase (hTERT).
- To assess the utility of these antibodies for detecting hTERT expression in human tumors.
Summary:
- Monoclonal antibodies (H4, G8, A11) were generated against a synthetic hTERT peptide (hTERT(9)).
- Antibodies G8 and H4 recognized a ~123 kDa protein in Western blots and showed specific nuclear staining in cancer cells via immunohistochemistry.
- The G8 antibody demonstrated high specificity, detecting hTERT in 80.31% of human cancer tissues while showing minimal reactivity in precancerous and no reactivity in benign tumors.
Impact:
- The developed monoclonal antibodies are specific for hTERT and can detect both native and denatured forms.
- These antibodies show significant promise for immunoblotting and immunohistochemical applications in cancer diagnostics and research.