From diagnostic tools to therapy against cancer, infections and autoimmune diseases, antibodies serve many purposes, yet our knowledge of them is still incomplete. The Antibodies: Volume 7 continues with a comprehensive review of topics of contemporary interest including major breakthroughs such as the advent of monoclonal antibodies and the development of new techniques of antibody engineering that have kept antibodies at the forefront of immunology and medical science. While examining the ground-breaking discoveries of the last two decades this book also revisits more traditional aspects of the field to give an holistic approach to this increasingly popular area of medicine.

Intended for specialists in B cell immunology, this is an investigation of such topics as the movement of a monoclonal antibody from the laboratory into the clinic, the field of Fc receptors, the impact of monoclonal antibodies on the diagnosis and treatment of human cancer, and detailed analyses of specific antibody systems: mouse lambda and human kappa. Antibodies have always been vital to any major progress within immunology. From diagnostic tools to vehicles for modern therapy against cancer, infections, and autoimmune diseases, antibodies serve many purposes, yet our knowledge of them, their properties and structural characteristics is incomplete. "The Antibodies" series seeks to provide the scientific community with a platform for a comprehensive review of topics of contemporary interest for specialists in this area.

Contents:
1. Positive Selection of B Cell Repertoire, Idiotype Networks and Immunological Memory 2. The Utility of Immunoglobulins Fusions in DNA Immunisation 3. Constraints on the Hydropathicity and Sequence Composition of HCDR3 are Conserved Across Evolution 4. Molecular Aspects of Anti-Polysaccharide Antibody Responses 5. Molecular Farming Antibodies in Plants: From Antibody Engineering to Antibody Production