Expression of xenogenous (human) imunoglobulins in cloned, transgenic ungulates

• US 20060117394A1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hermatech, LLC, SAB LLC (W.P. Carey, Inc. (Real Estate))
• Original Assignee: Kirin Beer Kabushiki Kaisha, Hematech, LLC (MeritCare Health System)
• Inventors: Kuroiwa, Yoshimi, Goldsby, Richard A., Tomizuka, Kazuma, Ferguson, Stacy E., Osborne, Barbara A., Ishida, Isao, Robl, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,491,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/6
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2207/15 Humanized animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/00 Genetically modified animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/05 Animals comprising random inserted nucleic acids (transgenic)
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/075 inducing loss of function, i.e. knock out
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2227/101 Bovine
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2267/01 Animal expressing industrially exogenous proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/0273 Cloned vertebrates
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/0276 Knock-out vertebrates
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/0278 Knock-in vertebrates, e.g. humanised vertebrates
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8509 for producing genetically modified animals, e.g. transgenic
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2800/30 Vector systems comprising sequences for excision in presence of a recombinase, e.g. loxP or FRT
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/1051 Hexosyltransferases (2.4.1)

Abstract

The present invention relates to the production of a transgenic bovine which comprises a genetic modification that results in inactivation and loss of expression of its endogenous antibodies, and the expression of xenogenous antibodies, preferably human antibodies. This is effected by inactivation of the IgM heavy chain expression and, optionally, by inactivation of the Ig light chain expression, and by the further introduction of an artificial chromosome which results in the expression of non-bovine antibodies, preferably human antibodies.

Claims

1. A transgenic ungulate whose cells comprise one or more nucleic acids, each nucleic acid comprising one or more xenogenous immunoglobulin heavy or light chain loci that undergo rearrangement and are expressed in B cells to produce xenogenous immunoglobulin in response to exposure to one or more antigens.

2. The transgenic ungulate of claim 1, wherein said xenogenous immunoglobulin is human immunoglobulin.

3. The transgenic ungulate of claim 1, wherein said immunoglobulin loci comprise both a human immunoglobulin light chain locus and a human immunoglobulin heavy chain locus.

4. The transgenic ungulate of claim 1, wherein said one or more nucleic acids comprise a chromosome fragment.

5. The transgenic ungulate of claim 4, wherein said chromosome fragment is selected from the group consisting of a YAC, BAC, and cosmid vector.

6. The transgenic ungulate of claim 1, wherein said one or more nucleic acids comprise an artificial chromosome.

7. The transgenic ungulate of claim 6, wherein said artificial chromosome is a human artificial chromosome.

8. The transgenic ungulate of claim 7, wherein said human artificial chromosome is a Δ

HAC or Δ

Δ

HAC.

9. The transgenic ungulate of claim 7, wherein said human artificial chromosome is derived from one or more of human chromosome 14, human chromosome 2, and human chromosome 22.

10. The transgenic ungulate of claim 1, wherein said ungulate is a bovine, ovine, porcine, or caprine.

11. The transgenic ungulate of claim 10, wherein said ungulate is a bovine.

12. An ungulate somatic cell comprising one or more nucleic acids, each nucleic acid comprising one or more xenogenous immunoglobulin heavy or light chain loci that undergo rearrangement and are expressed in B cells to produce xenogenous immunoglobulin in response to exposure to one or more antigens.

13. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 12, wherein said xenogenous immunoglobulin is human immunoglobulin.

14. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 13, wherein said immunoglobulin loci comprise both a human immunoglobulin light chain locus and a human immunoglobulin heavy chain locus.

15. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 12, wherein said one or more nucleic acids comprise a chromosome fragment.

16. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 15, wherein said chromosome fragment is selected from the group consisting of a YAC, BAC, and cosmid vector.

17. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 12, wherein said one or more nucleic acids comprise an artificial chromosome.

18. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 17, wherein said artificial chromosome is a human artificial chromosome.

19. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 18, wherein said human artificial chromosome is a Δ

HAC or Δ

Δ

HAC.

20. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 18, wherein said human artificial chromosome is derived from one or more of human chromosome 14, human chromosome 2, and human chromosome 22.

21. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 12, wherein said cell is a fetal fibroblast or B-cell.

22. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 12, wherein said ungulate is a bovine, ovine, porcine, or caprine.

23. The ungulate somatic cell of claim 22, wherein said ungulate is a bovine.

24. A method of producing xenogenous antibodies against one or more antigens, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) administering one or more antigens to a transgenic ungulate whose cells comprise one or more nucleic acids, each nucleic acid comprising one or more xenogenous immunoglobulin heavy or light chain loci that undergo rearrangement and are expressed in B cells to produce xenogenous immunoglobulin, resulting in the production of xenogenous antibodies against said one or more antigens; and

(b) recovering said xenogenous antibodies from said ungulate.

26. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein said xenogenous immunoglobulin is human immunoglobulin.

27. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein said immunoglobulin loci comprise both a human immunoglobulin light chain locus and a human immunoglobulin heavy chain locus.

28. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein said one or more nucleic acids comprise a chromosome fragment.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said chromosome fragment is selected from the group consisting of a YAC, BAC, and cosmid vector.

30. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein said one or more nucleic acids comprise an artificial chromosome.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said artificial chromosome is a human artificial chromosome.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said human artificial chromosome is a Δ

HAC or Δ

Δ

HAC.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said human artificial chromosome is derived from one or more of human chromosome 14, human chromosome 2, and human chromosome 22.

34. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein said ungulate is a bovine, ovine, porcine, or caprine.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said ungulate is a bovine.

25. A method of producing xenogenous antibodies against one or more antigens, said method comprising recovering xenogenous antibodies from a transgenic ungulate whose cells comprise one or more nucleic acids, each nucleic acid comprising one or more xenogenous immunoglobulin heavy or light chain loci that undergo rearrangement and are expressed in B cells, resulting in production of xenogenous antibodies against said one or more antigens.