Development of a new recombinant antibody, selected by phage-display technology from a celiac patient library, for detection of gluten in foods

• Published in: Current research in food science 2023-01, Vol.7, p.100578-100578, Article 100578
• Main Authors: Garcia-Calvo, Eduardo, García-García, Aina, Rodríguez-Gómez, Santiago, Farrais, Sergio, Martín, Rosario, García, Teresa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Celiac disease; ELISA; Gluten; Immune library; Phage display; Recombinant Fab
• ISSN: 2665-9271; 2665-9271
• DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2023.100578

Gluten, a group of ethanol-soluble proteins present in the endosperm of cereals, is extensively used in the food industry due to its ability to improve dough properties. However, gluten is also associated with a range of gluten-related diseases (GRDs), such as wheat allergies, celiac disease, and gluten intolerance. The recommended treatment for GRDs patients is a gluten-free diet. To monitor adherence to this diet, it is necessary to develop gluten-detection systems in food products. Among the available methods, immunodetection systems are the most popular due to their simplicity, reproducibility, and accuracy. The aim of this study was to generate novel high-affinity antibodies against gluten to be used as the primary reactant in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. These antibodies were developed by constructing an immune library from mRNA obtained from two celiac patients with a high humoral response to gluten-related proteins. The resulting library (composed by 1.1x107) was subjected to selection against gliadin using phage display technology. Following several rounds of selection, the Fab-C was selected, and demonstrated good functionality in ELISA tests, presenting a limit of detection of 15 mg/kg for detection of gluten in spiked mixtures and food products. The methodology can discriminate gluten-free products according to the current legislation. [Display omitted] •A gluten-free diet is nowadays the best therapy to stop and heal celiac disease.•A novel immune library was built from biological samples from celiac patients.•By using phage display technology, a new Fab against gluten has been identified.•The developed Fab has been used in ELISA test for gluten detection in food.