Rat monoclonal antibodies are produced by immunizing rats and leveraging hybridoma technology. The process initiates with exposing rats to target antigens, generating an immune response. Then, the B cells from the rat’s spleen are fused with myeloma cells, giving rise to hybridomas capable of continuous monoclonal antibody production.
Compared to mouse antibodies, the large size of rat antibodies may provide better tissue penetration and improved assay performance. Additionally, rat antibodies often exhibit a higher affinity for antigens, enhancing binding specificity. Rats can also generate a diverse immune response, recognizing a broad range of epitopes—an advantage in dealing with complex target structures. Furthermore, rat antibodies may demonstrate reduced cross-reactivity with human tissues, a crucial factor in applications like immunohistochemistry, where minimizing cross-reactivity is essential.
