The use of avian yolk antibodies in biomedical research

Abstract

Passive immunization, proposed by E. Behring, is still a sought-after treatment option using mammalian antibodies. This principle was developed by F. Klemperer in 1893, showing that antibodies that could inactivate the pathogen appeared in the egg yolks of chickens immunized with tetanus toxin. At this time, E. Behring, S. Kitasato, and other investigators studied the inactivating properties of mammalian sera, and an article by F. Klemperer on the transfer of active antibodies from chicken blood to egg yolk remained unattended. Only after the publication of the 3Rs principles by W.M.S. Russell and R.L. Burch in 1959, it was realized that the extraction of egg yolks from immunized birds was fully consistent with the principles of bioethics because the procedure was physiological and non-invasive. Researchers in many countries began to study the yolk immunoglobulins of birds of different species and use them in the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of human and animal diseases. The following species of birds are used for production of IgY-antibodies: chicken, quail, duck, goose, ostrich. Extraction of immunoglobulins from egg yolks of birds is not a difficult task. Many options for the isolation and purification of yolk immunoglobulins from different avian species have been described in the literature. IgY technology has attracted a lot of interest among researchers, especially in the last 10 years. In addition, advances in laboratory techniques and the application of other technologies in the field have resulted in IgY technology becoming more mature for industrial production of specific antibodies and commercialization of the process. Companies are emerging in many countries producing transovarian (yolk) antibodies against pathogens that cause dental caries, peptic ulcer, celiac disease and other diseases. IgY-technologies are a relatively new direction in immunology, based on the passive immunization technology of E. Behring, but it is not sufficiently appreciated in Russia. The replacement of mammalian IgG with avian transovarial IgY allows to develop commercially significant amounts of specific antibodies that do not cause side effects, expands the possibilities of passive immunization methods for the treatment of lesions caused by viruses, bacteria and toxins. This review describes the properties of IgY from different avian species and examples of their application in therapy and disease prevention.