Scientific information on Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH)
KLH is a large, oxygen-carrying glycoprotein from the marine mollusk Megathura crenulata. KLH is well known as a safe, potent stimulator of humoral and cellular immune responses.
KLH plays a vital role in research and clinical studies as vaccine adjuvant, as a carrier for haptens and as an antigen for assessing immune function.
Usefull links:
KLH Knowledge Base
Wikipedia
Possible applications for quantitative human anti-KLH antibody testing
1. to measure both the dynamics and absolute concentrations of humoral immune responses in individuals exposed to KLH
2. as a biomarker for vaccine-immunogenicity of KLH-containing vaccines
3. as a biomarker for clinical efficacy of KLH-containing therapeutics
4. as a biomarker for assessing isotype specific humoral immune functions in individual patients
5. analysis of KLH-specific IgG subclass profiles for in-depth focus on Th-polarization
Background literature
Harris et al.
Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin: a biomedical review
Micron 1999;30:597-623
Harris et al.
Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin: molecular structure of a potent immunoactivator. A review
Eur Urol 2000;37:24-33
Schumacher et al.
Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin conjugate vaccines as novel therapeutic tools in malignant disorder
J Cancer Res Oncol 2001;127:1-2
Holmberg et al.
Vaccination with Theratope (STn-KLH) as treatment for breast cancer
Expert Rev Vaccines 2004;3:655-63
Heimberger et al.
The PEPvIII-KLH (CDX-110) vaccine in glioblastoma patients
Expert Opin Biol ther 2009;9:1087-98
For individual publications on scientific research involving KLH and ongoing clinical trials:
KLH Knowledge Base