Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The fact that antibodies can be detected in the yolk of eggs laid by immunized hens, led to the development of yolk antibody technology as an alternative research method to animal testing. This lab manual describes in detail, protocols on how to keep and immunize hens and protocols for the extraction, isolation and use of antibodies from yolk. Schade and his team were awarded the FISEA (International Foundation for the Substitution of Animal Experimentation) prize in 1997 for their work on yolk antibodies. A Springer Lab Manual
Synopsis
Polyclonal antibodies, widely used in research and diagnostics, are conventionally isolated from the blood of immunised mammals. The fact that antibodies can also be detected in the yolk of eggs laid by immunised hens, led to the development of the yolk antibody technology as an alternative method less stressful to animals. Hens can be kept under nearly natural conditions and antibodies be isolated from the eggs.
Further, the IgY-technology has the advantage that avian antibodies can be produced against several antigens which do not induce a immune response in mammals. Protocols on how to keep and immunise hens and on the extraction, isolation and use of antibodies from yolk are described in detail in this manual.
For their work on yolk antibodies the authors received the FISEA (International Foundation for the Substitution of Animal Experimentation, Luxembourg) prize in 1997.