In antibody engineering, the strategic use of animal models can unlock binding specificities otherwise inaccessible by conventional means. Among these, hamsters occupy a unique niche. At Creative Biolabs, we offer comprehensive antibody library construction services powered by advanced phage antibody display technology. Constructing a hamster antibody library using phage display involves immunizing the animal, extracting RNA from immune cells, amplifying variable region genes (VH and VL) via RT-PCR, cloning these genes into phagemid vectors, packaging them into phage particles, and then screening the resulting library against the target antigen through multiple rounds of panning. Our platform combines the immunological advantages of hamsters with the high-throughput, precision screening capabilities of phage display to accelerate antibody discovery pipelines.
Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) and Chinese hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) have been increasingly recognized as useful models for antibody development. Compared to other animal models, these hamsters have two key advantages. One major advantage is their highly diverse antibody repertoire. Although these hamsters have a relatively low number of germline VH genes (less than 50), they heavily rely on somatic hypermutation to generate a diverse array of antibodies. As a result, these animals are often able to produce unique antibodies that can recognize conserved or poorly immunogenic antigens that are not accessible to other models. Another advantage is their human-like glycosylation pattern. Antibodies produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells have a glycosylation pattern that is similar to that of human antibodies. In particular, CHO-produced antibodies tend to have lower levels of fucose, which is an important feature that can enhance the antibody's ability to kill target cells and reduce immunogenicity in humans (this process is known as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, or ADCC).
In addition to antibody production, these hamsters are also useful for disease models. For instance, when Syrian hamsters are infected with SARS-CoV-2, they develop lung lesions, cytokine storm, and lymphopenia, which are also observed in human cases of COVID-19. This makes them a valuable model for testing the neutralization potency of potential antibody therapies against respiratory viruses. Moreover, these hamsters can be used for cross-species transmission studies. For example, because the ACE2 receptor of hamsters binds to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with a higher affinity than the mouse ACE2 receptor, the hamster model can better recapitulate the process of viral entry and transmission in human populations1.
We are especially confident in our ability to identify top-performing monoclonal antibodies in hamsters. It's not just that these antibodies are high-affinity binders against your targets of interest. These antibodies are also screened and selected to completely meet your additional, application-specific needs – including those all-important properties such as affinity, stability, functional activity, and manufacturability.
Our standard phage display antibody production workflow using immunized hamsters aims to generate maximum diversity, while achieving the best binder recovery and reproducibility.
Creative Biolabs enhances these capabilities with our proprietary Native™ Hamster Antibody Discovery Service. Using high-throughput cytometry, this robust platform directly captures and isolates antigen-specific B cells from immunized hamsters. (No phage display or synthetic libraries in between!) We then sequence and produce the antibodies recombinantly, retaining this native pairing of heavy and light chains (as originally produced by the hamster immune system). You finally get access to high-quality antibodies with all of the benefits of the native hamster immune response.
Hamster antibody libraries can become a great alternative if other immune platforms do not meet your expectations. With Creative Biolabs as your partner, you have access to leading phage antibody display technology and end-to-end antibody discovery services. Please or for your hamster phage display antibody project.
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Please kindly note that our services can only be used to support research purposes (Not for clinical use).
Creative Biolabs is a globally recognized phage company. Creative Biolabs is committed to providing researchers with the most reliable service and the most competitive price.
