What are polyclonal antibodies?

Polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) are a heterogeneous mixture of multiple antibodies that are typically derived by different B-cell clones of an animal. They are produced by the inoculation of a suitable mammal, such as a rabbit, goat or mouse. Larger mammals are often preferred as the amount of serum derived is greater. Polyclonal antibodies are capable of recognizing multiple epitopes (binding sites) on a single antigen. This allows them to form lattices with the antigens. pAbs are very stable across a wide range of pH values and salt concentrations and are unaffected by small changes in the epitopes of an antigen. Polyclonal antibodies have a wide range of applications. They are used in diagnostic testing to detect tumor markers and other proteins of interest. They are also used in qualitative and quantitative biological analyses and for mediation purposes such as in immunotherapy or for neutralizing activities.