GeneTex Introduces Recombinant Monoclonal Iba1 Antibody

GeneTex offers a new recombinant rabbit monoclonal antibody (Clone [HL22], GTX635363) that detects Iba1, a protein commonly used as an immunohistochemical marker of both quiescent and activated microglia. In its development and production, both paraffin- and frozen-IHC analyses (IHC-P, IHC-Fr, respectively) were conducted in the screening process and clone [HL22] was identified as exceptional for these critical applications (Figure 1A-C). This reagent’s success in IHC-Fr is particularly noteworthy to neuroscientists, as the current market-leading commercial antibody is a rabbit polyclonal and GeneTex’s recombinant rabbit monoclonal offers consistency and specificity advantages (Figure 1). In addition, the antigen-binding regions of this antibody are also available in the context of both mouse and rat IgG backbones, thus extending flexibility for multiple staining.

Figure 1. GeneTex's recombinant rabbit monoclonal Iba1 antibody [HL22] (GTX635363) is superior to a competitor's highly cited rabbit polyclonal antibody for both IHC-P (panels A vs. D) and IHC-Fr (panels B, C vs. E, F).

Iba1 (ionized calcium binding adapter protein 1) is a 17 kD protein expressed in microglia and macrophages. It is a cytoskeletal component that functions in actin-crosslinking and is involved in migration. Much interest has been directed at the roles of Iba1 in phenotypic changes in the cytoskeleton that are characteristic of microglial activation in neuroinflammatory states. Though widely used by neuroscientists as a microglial marker and as a tool to gauge microglial activation, more research is being directed at understanding its apparent activities in signaling events that may be responsible for some of the detrimental actions of activated microglia in the context of inflammation and certain brain malignancies. As Alexander Ball, M.D., Senior Scientist at GeneTex comments, “Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation continues to be a major goal of neuroscientists. As the primary effector cells in the CNS, microglia have deservedly attracted much attention. Reliable and well-validated reagents are essential to move this work forward.”

GeneTex’s recombinant rabbit monoclonal Iba1 antibody [HL22] (GTX635363) was produced in GeneTex’s state-of-the-art recombinant antibody manufacturing facility and underscores the continued evolution of GeneTex as a major developer and supplier of high-quality, rigorously validated antibody reagents that deliver reproducible performance. This new facility and production platform will spearhead the development of novel antibodies to accelerate biomedical research and innovative therapeutic interventions.