EuroMAbNet: European Monoclonal Antibodies Network

Members

Aurelija Žvirblienė

Name of the laboratory

Members of the laboratory

Unit Leader

Aurelija Žvirblienė aurelija.zvirbliene@bti.vu.lt

Research Fellows

Indrė Kučinskaitė-Kodzė indre.kodze@bti.vu.lt

Indrė Dalgėdienė indre.dalgediene@bti.vu.lt

Dovilė Stravinskienė dovile.stravinskiene@gmc.vu.lt

Martynas Simanavičius martynas.simanavicius@bti.vu.lt

Asta Lučiūnaitė asta.luciunaite@bti.vu.lt

Aistė Sližienė aiste.sliziene@gmc.vu.lt

PhD Students

Karolina Bielskė Karolina Bielskė

Vytautas Rudokas vytautas.rudokas@gmc.vu.lt

Kristina Mašalaitė kristina.masalaite@gmc.vu.lt

Agnė Rimkutė agne.rimkute@gmc.vu.lt

Dainius Gudas dainius.gudas@gmc.vu.lt

Laboratory activity

The Department of Immunology has been engaged in the development and characterization of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) since 1995. As part of the Life Sciences Center at Vilnius University, the Department is equipped with modern infrastructure for cell culture, immunochemical analyses, and molecular biology experiments.

We carry out all stages of MAb development — from the generation of recombinant antigens to comprehensive characterization, including epitope mapping. Additionally, we produce recombinant antibodies in various formats.

Our network of international collaborations encompasses both academic institutions and industrial partners.

Research activities

We have generated hundreds of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against diverse targets, including viral antigens, bacterial virulence factors, cellular proteins, cytokines, hormones, allergens, and chemical compounds. The largest portion of our collection targets viral antigens, serving as valuable tools for studying viral antigenic structures, developing diagnostic assays, and conducting viral prevalence studies.

Our research combines antibody technologies with virus-like particle (VLP) technologies. VLPs are used as carriers for target epitopes to enhance immunogenicity, allowing the generation of antibodies against short or non-immunogenic protein sequences.

For recombinant antibody construction, we use gene sequences encoding the variable regions of immunoglobulin heavy and light chains obtained from hybridoma cells producing well-characterized MAbs. Recombinant antibodies are generated in various formats, including single-chain antibodies (scFv) and Fc-engineered antibodies, where the scFv is fused to a human IgG Fc fragment. We also display scFv and Fc-engineered scFv on recombinant virus-like particles, enabling the production of multimeric recombinant antibodies.

A significant part of our MAbs are commercialized and/or included into diagnostic kits. We have contracts with industrial partners from Lithuania, UK, Germany, Finland, USA.

Techniques available

• Monoclonal antibody production
• Polyclonal antibody production
• Cloning techniques
• Antibody purification
• Antibody characterization and conjugation
• Epitope mapping
• Mycoplasma testing
• ELISA, Western blot, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy
• Production of recombinant antigens in bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells
• Construction of chimeric virus-like particles carrying target epitopes
• Recombinant antibody production
• Construction of recombinant antibodies displayed on virus-like particles

Publications (2021-present)

• Bielskė K, Petraitytė-Burneikienė R, Avižinienė A, Dapkūnas J, Plikusienė I, Juciutė S, Stančiauskaitė M, Žvirblienė A, Kučinskaitė-Kodzė I. Broadly reactive monoclonal antibodies against beta-lactamases for immunodetection of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Sci Rep. 2025 May 30;15(1):19094. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04603-2. PMID: 40447764; PMCID: PMC12125298.
• Rudokas V, Silimavicius L, Kucinskaite-Kodze I, Sliziene A, Pleckaityte M, Zvirbliene A. Novel monoclonal antibodies against house dust mite allergen Der p 21 and their application to analyze allergen extracts. PeerJ. 2024 Apr 18;12:e17233. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17233. PMID: 38646484; PMCID: PMC11032652.
• Lučiūnaitė A, Mašalaitė K, Plikusiene I, Maciulis V, Juciute S, Norkienė M, Žvirblienė A. Structural properties of immune complexes formed by viral antigens and specific antibodies shape the inflammatory response of macrophages. Cell Biosci. 2024 Apr 25;14(1):53. doi: 10.1186/s13578-024-01237-1. PMID: 38664730; PMCID: PMC11046781.
• Simanavičius M, Kučinskaitė-Kodzė I, Kaselienė S, Sauliūnė S, Gudas D, Jančorienė L, Jasinskienė R, Vitkauskienė A, Žūtautienė R, Žvirblienė A, Stankūnas M. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in a sample of the Lithuanian population-based study in Spring 2023. Heliyon. 2024 Apr 12;10(8):e29343. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29343. PMID: 38681561; PMCID: PMC11053182.
• Avižinienė A, Kučinskaitė-Kodzė I, Petraitytė-Burneikienė R, Žvirblienė A, Mertens ML, Schmidt S, Schlegel M, Lattwein E, Koellner B, Ulrich RG. Characterization of a Panel of Cross-Reactive Hantavirus Nucleocapsid Protein-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies. Viruses. 2023 Feb 14;15(2):532. doi: 10.3390/v15020532. PMID: 36851747; PMCID: PMC9958643.
• Sližienė A, Plečkaitytė M, Rudokas V, Juškaitė K, Žvirblis G, Žvirblienė A. Cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies against fish parvalbumins as a tool for studying antigenic similarity of different parvalbumins and analysis of fish extracts. Mol Immunol. 2023 Feb;154:80-95. doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.01.001. Epub 2023 Jan 6. PMID: 36621061.
• Yu JC, Mietzsch M, Singh A, Jimenez Ybargollin A, Kailasan S, Chipman P, Bhattacharya N, Fakhiri J, Grimm D, Kapoor A, Kučinskaitė-Kodzė I, Žvirblienė A, Söderlund-Venermo M, McKenna R, Agbandje-McKenna M. Characterization of the GBoV1 Capsid and Its Antibody Interactions. Viruses. 2021; 13: 330
• Plikusiene I, Maciulis V, Ramanaviciene A, Balevicius Z, Buzavaite-Verteliene E, Ciplys E, Slibinskas R, Simanavicius M, Zvirbliene A, Ramanavicius A. Evaluation of kinetics and thermodynamics of interaction between immobilized SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein and specific antibodies by total internal reflection ellipsometry. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science; 2021. 594: 195-203.
• Kučinskaitė-Kodzė I, Simanavičius M, Šimaitis A, Žvirblienė A. Persistence of SARS-CoV-2- Specific Antibodies for 13 Months after Infection. Viruses. 2021.13:2313
• McNabb L, Andiani A, Bulavaite A, Zvirbliene A, Sasnauskas K, Lunt R. Development and validation of an IgM antibody capture ELISA for early detection of Hendra virus. Journal of Virological Methods. 2021; 298:114296
• Rakauskaitė R, Urbanavičiūtė G, Simanavičius M, Žvirblienė A, Klimašauskas S. Selective immunocapture and light-controlled traceless release of transiently caged proteins. STAR Protocols. 2021; 2:100455

Patents (2010-Present)

• Zvirbliene A., Kucinskaite I., Pleckaityte M., Zvirblis G. Monoclonal antibodies against vaginolysin. EP2398823 (B1), WO2010095917 (A1) (2016).
• Rimseliene, R, Ulcinaite, D, Gagiliene, B, Sukackaite R., Zvirbliene A., Kucinskaite-Kodze I., Dekaminaviciute D. Antibodies that bind thermophillic DNA polymerases. PCT/EP2017/050648 (2016)
• D.Dekaminavičiūtė, M.Plečkaitytė, D.Matulis, A.Žvirblienė. Novel recombinant antibody against human carbonic anhydrase XII. Patent No. LT 6331 B (2016)
• M.Plečkaityte, E.Mištinienė, J.H.Pesliakas, G.Žvirblis, A.Žvirblienė. Recombinant single-chain antibody fragment neutralizing the cytolytic activity of vaginolysin. PCT/LT2011/000004 (2011).
• A.Žvirblienė, A.Gedvilaitė, R.Lasickienė. Monoclonal antibodies against Merkel polyomavirus major capsid protein VP1. Patent LT 5843 B (2011).
• A.Žvirblienė, I.Kučinskaitė-Kodzė. M.Plečkaitytė, G.Žvirblis. Monoclonal antibodies against vaginolysin. Patent LT 5705 B (2010).
• Žvirblienė A., Gedvilaitė A., Ulrich, R., Sasnauskas K. Process for the production of monoclonal antibodies using chimeric VLPs. US 7,919,314 (B2), 2011.