Antibodies are frequently used nowadays for therapeutic purposes and in disease diagnosis. In order to introduce point mutations in the framework and CDR loops and select for a version with improved binding affinity for its target, affinity maturation is a procedure to operate the variable region of an antibody that experiences somatic hypermutation. Increasing dissociation half-times, extending detection limits, lowering drug doses, and boosting pharmacological efficacy all depend on achieving high-affinity binding. However, antibody medicines of the desired potency are rarely produced by antibody affinity maturation in vivo. Therefore, further affinity maturation by directed evolution or computational design is required in vitro.

For more: computer-aided affinity maturation