Soluble “heavy-chain only” antibodies
First Claim
1. A method for obtaining nucleic acid encoding a heavy chain-only antibody chain comprising:
- a) obtaining long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells from a transgenic mammal including a heavy chain-only locus comprising human VH gene segments, one or more human D gene segments, human J gene segments, and at least one mouse constant region gene segment wherein the human VH gene segments consist of VH1-69, VH4-59, VH3-53, VH3-49, VH4-34, VH3-48, VH3-33, VH3-30, VH3-23, VH1-18, VH3-15, VH4-39, VH1-8, VH3-07, VH2-5, VH4-4, VH1-2, and VH6-1, the human D gene segments comprise at least 20 human D gene segments, the human J gene segments comprise all six human J gene segments, and the mouse constant region gene segment comprises a Cγ
lacking CH1, which mammal has been challenged with an antigen; and
b) isolating nucleic acid encoding a heavy chain-only antibody chain specific for the antigen from the long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a high affinity, antigen-specific, soluble heavy chain-only antibody which: lacks hallmark camelid-related amino acid substitutions and has FR2 substitutions which are not found in antibodies which comprise heavy and light chain; shows increased net hydrophobicity within CDR1 and an increased number of charged amino acids present in CDR3; and comprises one or more amino acid substitutions within the framework β-pleated sheet leading to increased net hydrophobicity within FR1 and increased number of charged amino acids present in FR3. Also provided are VH domains having the same properties, gene segments for their production, methods for their production, transgenic animals and uses of the antibody of the VH domains in therapy.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for obtaining nucleic acid encoding a heavy chain-only antibody chain comprising:
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a) obtaining long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells from a transgenic mammal including a heavy chain-only locus comprising human VH gene segments, one or more human D gene segments, human J gene segments, and at least one mouse constant region gene segment wherein the human VH gene segments consist of VH1-69, VH4-59, VH3-53, VH3-49, VH4-34, VH3-48, VH3-33, VH3-30, VH3-23, VH1-18, VH3-15, VH4-39, VH1-8, VH3-07, VH2-5, VH4-4, VH1-2, and VH6-1, the human D gene segments comprise at least 20 human D gene segments, the human J gene segments comprise all six human J gene segments, and the mouse constant region gene segment comprises a Cγ
lacking CH1, which mammal has been challenged with an antigen; andb) isolating nucleic acid encoding a heavy chain-only antibody chain specific for the antigen from the long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of producing a heavy chain-only antibody comprising a soluble VH and which binds specifically to an antigen comprising:
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(a) immunising a non-human transgenic mammal comprising a heavy chain-only antibody locus comprising human VH gene segments, one or more human D gene segments, human J gene segments, and at least one mouse constant region gene segment wherein the human VH gene segments consist of VH1-69, VH4-59, VH3-53, VH3-49, VH4-34, VH3-48, VH3-33, VH3-30, VH3-23, VH1-18, VH3-15, VH4-39, VH1-8, VH3-07, VH2-5, VH4-4, VH1-2, and VH6-1, the human D gene segments comprise at least 20 human D gene segments, the human J gene segments comprise all six human J gene segments, and the mouse constant region gene segment comprises a Cγ
lacking CH1, with the antigen, wherein the mammal expresses heavy chain-only antibodies comprising soluble VHs and which lack CH1 functionality in the transcribed and processed heavy chain mRNA;(b) isolating long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells from the immunised mammal; (c) isolating an mRNA population from cells derived from step (b); (d) cloning a cDNA population derived from the mRNA of step (c) into an expression vector and expressing the cDNA in a cell-line; and (e) selecting at least one cell-line which produces a heavy chain-only antibody which binds specifically to the antigen. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 31)
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16. A method of producing a heavy chain-only antibody comprising a soluble VH and which binds specifically to an antigen comprising:
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(a) immunising a non-human transgenic mammal comprising a heavy chain-only antibody locus comprising human VH gene segments, one or more human D gene segments, human J gene segments, and at least one mouse constant region gene segment wherein the human VH gene segments consist of VH1-69, VH4-59, VH3-53, VH3-49, VH4-34, VH3-48, VH3-33, VH3-30, VH3-23, VH1-18, VH3-15, VH4-39, VH1-8, VH3-07, VH2-5, VH4-4, VH1-2, and VH6-1, the human D gene segments comprise at least 20 human D gene segments, the human J gene segments comprise all six human J gene segments, and the mouse constant region gene segment comprises a Cγ
lacking CH1, with the antigen, wherein the mammal expresses heavy chain-only antibodies comprising soluble VHs and which lack CH1 functionality in the transcribed and processed heavy chain mRNA;(b) isolating long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells from the immunised mammal; (c) isolating an mRNA population from cells derived from step (b); (d) cloning a cDNA population comprising cDNAs which encode a VH domains derived from the mRNA of step (c) into expression vector such that a VH fusion protein, which may comprise a heavy chain effector region, is expressed in the cell-line; and (e) selecting at least one cell line which produces a VH fusion protein which binds specifically to the antigen. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for obtaining nucleic acid encoding a soluble VH domain comprising:
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a) obtaining long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells from a transgenic mammal including a heavy chain-only locus comprising human VH gene segments, one or more human D gene segments, human J gene segments, and at least one mouse constant region gene segment wherein the human VH gene segments consist of VH1-69, VH4-59, VH3-53, VH3-49, VH4-34, VH3-48, VH3-33, VH3-30, VH3-23, VH1-18, VH3-15, VH4-39, VH1-8, VH3-07, VH2-5, VH4-4, VH1-2, and VH6-1, the human D gene segments comprise at least 20 human D gene segments, the human J gene segments comprise all six human J gene segments, and the mouse constant region gene segment comprises a Cγ
lacking CH1, which mammal has been challenged with an antigen; andb) isolating nucleic acid encoding a soluble VH domain specific for the antigen from the long-lived plasma cells or memory B-cells. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification