Introducing GlykoGen’s new innovation: Rabbit IgG monoclonal antibody

GlykoGen, developers of engineered monoclonal antibodies, now offers a new rabbit IgG monoclonal antibody recognizing Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4). SSEA-4 is a ganglioside which consists of a glycosphingolipid containing a terminal sialic acid residue (N-acetylneuraminic acid).

SSEA-4 is widely known as a specific marker for pluripotent stem cells and is reported to play an important role in the malignant behavior of a number of cancers. During human development SSEA-4 is first observed on pluripotent cells of the inner cell mass and is subsequently lost upon differentiation. Human germ stem cells in the testis and ovary have also been shown to express SSEA-4.

SSEA-4 has been found to be over-expressed in a number of cancers and has been correlated with disease progression. It has been proposed as a novel marker to identify heterogeneous, invasive subpopulations of tumor cells. Increased cell-surface SSEA-4 expression is associated with the loss of cell–cell interactions and the gain of a migratory phenotype, suggesting an important role of SSEA-4 in cancer invasion by influencing cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix.

Studies of SSEA-4 expression and function have been restricted by a lack of availability of reagents. GlykoGen have overcome these reagent challenges by using their proprietary immunisation methods to develop Clone F8, a recombinant monoclonal rabbit IgG antibody. The availability of this antibody will facilitate studies into SSEA-4 expression and function, both in stem cell biology and in cancer studies.

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