Assay antibodies

Assay antibodies are specialized immunoglobulins used as reagents in laboratory techniques to identify, quantify, or localize specific proteins within a sample (Thermo Fisher Scientific, 2024). These antibodies are categorized into primary antibodies, which bind directly to the antigen of interest, and secondary antibodies, which bind to the primary antibody to amplify the signal (NIH, 2023). Common applications include Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Western blotting, and flow cytometry. Unlike therapeutic antibodies, which are administered to patients to modulate biological processes, assay antibodies are used strictly in vitro or in diagnostic settings. Consequently, they do not function as therapeutic targets for drug development but rather as tools for monitoring drug efficacy or disease biomarkers (Nature Education, 2014).

Other names

Detection antibodiesCapture antibodiesSecondary antibodiesPrimary antibodies (assay-grade)Analytical antibodies

Not applicable (reagent used for detection, not a therapeutic target)