title: Antibody validation.
abstract: Antibodies are among the most frequently used tools in basic science research and in clinical assays, but there are no universally accepted guidelines or standardized methods for determining the validity of these reagents. Furthermore, for commercially available antibodies, it is clear that what is on the label does not necessarily correspond to what is in the tube. To validate an antibody, it must be shown to be specific, selective, and reproducible in the context for which it is to be used. In this review, we highlight the common pitfalls when working with antibodies, common practices for validating antibodies, and levels of commercial antibody validation for seven vendors. Finally, we share our algorithm for antibody validation for immunohistochemistry and quantitative immunofluorescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bordeaux
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Killiam
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baquero
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.forename: Valsamo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anagnostou
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rimm
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies