EUROMABNET Profile

EuroMAbNet represents the first European network of laboratories linked to academic Institutions, each having an internationally recognized reputation in the production and use of monoclonal antibodies. EuroMAbNet spans eleven European countries and members possess a wealth of expertise in monoclonal antibody technology ranging from identification and production of immunogens, the production of fully validated antibodies and their use as research tools, diagnostic/prognostic reagents and therapeutics.

What is EuroMAbNet’s aim?

To provide an arena in which people working in the field of monoclonal antibody production and technology can exchange knowledge, share the most up-to-date methodology and create common strategies to both standardize and improve the production of properly validated monoclonal antibodies. This will provide the scientific and medical communities with validated monoclonal antibodies that they can use with confidence in terms of both their technical performance and specificity. Furthermore, EuroMabNet validation guidelines will be invaluable to researchers by providing them with tools to identify and validate antibodies (including polyclonals) from other sources.

The need for EuroMAbNet?

Hybridoma technology for the production of monoclonal antibodies represents one of the most important methodological advances in biomedicine. Monoclonal antibodies have become an indispensable research tool for labeling and functionally characterizing proteins, as a consequence of their high affinity and specific binding. Antibody-based techniques, such as immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and ELISA, are important components of the diagnostic processes in routine hospital laboratories. Furthermore, therapeutic antibodies are one of the most rapidly expanding classes of new drugs for the treatment of human disease.

The past few years have seen an exponential increase in the number of monoclonal antibodies that are available both commercially and within the research community. Although this wealth of reagents has exciting potential, researchers need to understand the experimental nature of many monoclonal antibodies, as a consequence of their incomplete validation. The use of poorly characterized reagents poses a major risk of not only publishing but also the perpetuation of serious scientific errors. One of the key aims of EuroMAbNet is to help redress this problem.