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Background
Matched antibody pairs are a set of two antibodies, targeting separate and non-overlapping epitopes of the target antigen.
They are often used in sandwich ELISA, with one of them being coated as the capture and the other being used as the detection antibody, essentially sandwiching the target protein between them.
Types of antibodies used
Both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are being used for production of matched pairs, with each type having its own strengths and preferred applications.
The high affinity of monoclonal antibodies makes them a great choice for detecting small differences in antigen quantities, and adsorbed polyclonal antibodies are the preferred method of capturing the highest amount of target antigen.
Selecting a suitable pair for an experiment
One of the key considerations to make when choosing an antibody pair for a sandwich ELISA is to know that they have passed rigorous tests for cross-reactivity and optimisation.
The species from which the antibodies are
derived is also important, as capture and detect antibodies can target several
different target species, leading to variation in affinity levels.