Edinburgh: Monoclonal antibody for assessing allergic responses

Licensing opportunity

Researchers at Edinburgh University have produced a monoclonal antibody to mouse mast cell protease-1 (mMCP-1, MCPT1), a specific marker of mast cell activation after an allergic response, response to parasites, a drug-induced allergic reaction, or a consequence of a pathological condition involving mast cells.

This is claimed as the only currently available monoclonal antibody to mMCP1. Existing alternatives are either less specific polyclonal antibodies, or a similar rat mast cell protease-2 antibody.

The antibody is type IgG1, and has been tested in Western blot, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and ELISA. The ability to clearly and easily detect an allergic response in mouse models using these established techniques is an advantage of using this antibody. Mast cell protease-1 is an extremely sensitive marker and enters the circulation at high concentration and clearing slowly from the circulation with a half-life of more than10 hours.

Edinburgh University is seeking interest from commercial organisations to in-license this hybridoma, to manufacture and sell the monoclonal antibody for research purposes.