Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K16/00—Immunoglobulins [IG], e.g. monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies
  • C07K16/08—Immunoglobulins [IG], e.g. monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies against material from viruses
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K16/00—Immunoglobulins [IG], e.g. monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies
  • C07K16/08—Immunoglobulins [IG], e.g. monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies against material from viruses
  • C07K16/10—RNA viruses
  • C07K16/108—Orthomyxoviridae (F), e.g. influenza virus
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K39/00—Medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies
  • A61K39/395—Antibodies; Immunoglobulins; Immune serum, e.g. antilymphocytic serum
  • A61K39/42—Antibodies; Immunoglobulins; Immune serum, e.g. antilymphocytic serum viral
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
  • C12N5/00—Undifferentiated human, animal or plant cells, e.g. cell lines; Tissues; Cultivation or maintenance thereof; Culture media therefor
  • C12N5/10—Cells modified by introduction of foreign genetic material
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K2217/00—Genetically modified animals
  • A01K2217/07—Animals genetically altered by homologous recombination
  • A01K2217/075—Animals genetically altered by homologous recombination inducing loss of function, i.e. knock out
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K39/00—Medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies
  • A61K2039/505—Medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies comprising antibodies
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K2317/00—Immunoglobulins specific features
  • C07K2317/20—Immunoglobulins specific features characterized by taxonomic origin
  • C07K2317/21—Immunoglobulins specific features characterized by taxonomic origin from primates, e.g. man
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K2317/00—Immunoglobulins specific features
  • C07K2317/20—Immunoglobulins specific features characterized by taxonomic origin
  • C07K2317/24—Immunoglobulins specific features characterized by taxonomic origin containing regions, domains or residues from different species, e.g. chimeric, humanized or veneered

Definitions

• the invention relates to antibodies, more particularly to human, humanized and chimeric antibodies that specifically bind to influenza virus M2 protein.
• Influenza types A or B viruses cause epidemics of disease almost every winter in all countries and are a leading cause of death in the developed world. In the United States, these winter influenza epidemics can cause illness in 10% to 20% of people and are associated with an average of 20,000 deaths and 114,000 hospitalizations per year.
• the present strategy for control of influenza is yearly vaccination with inactivated whole- virus or sub-unit vaccines.
• the major neutralizing antigen of the influenza virus is hemagglutinin (HA) (Frace et al., Vaccine 17:2237 ⁇ 1999)).
• HA hemagglutinin
• the vaccine Erequently fails to provide optimal protective immunity against divergent viral strains.
• ⁇ immuno-compromised individuals such as elderly patients, cancer patients and other patients vho are immuno-incompetent due to ongoing treatment and/or disease, vaccination may not >rovide effective protection.
• Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are the two major antigens for the timulation of antibody production. Due to frequent antigenic variation of these two proteins, they do not represent optimal targets for development of therapeutic drugs.
• a third transmembrane protein of type A influenza viruses, matrix protein 2 (M2) is abundantly expressed by virus-infected cells, where it is postulated to provide an obligatory transmembrane proton flux for viral replication (Ciampor et al., Virus Research 22:247 (1992); Grambas and Hay, Virology 190:11 (1992); Sugrue et al., EMBO Journal 9:3469 (1990)).
• VI2 is conserved and may represent a target for the development of antibody-based passive [mmunotherapies for influenza patients (Ito et al., J. Virology 65:5491 (1991); Slepushkin et al., Vaccine 13:1399 (1995); Neirynck et al., Nature Med. 5:1157 (1999)).
• Vaccination of mice with baculovirus-expressed M2 protein has been reported to enhance clearance of virus from mouse lungs and protect mice from a lethal challenge with both lomologous and heterologous influenza A viruses (Slepushkin et al., Vaccine 13:1399 (1995)). More recent report has shown that the fusion of the extracellular domain of M2 to the hepatitis 3 virus core (HBc) protein to create a fusion gene coding for M2HBc, when used as a vaccine :ould provide 90-100% protection against a lethal virus challenge in mice (Neirynck et al., Vature Med. 5:1157 (1999)).
• HBc hepatitis 3 virus core
• Fully human, humanized and chimeric (e.g., human/mouse chimera) anti-M2 monoclonal mtibodies disclosed herein can recognize the A/PR/8/34 and A/HK/8/68 strains indicating broad • eactivity against influenza A. Furthermore, human, humanized and chimeric anti-M2 nonoclonal antibody disclosed herein can protect mice from a lethal challenge of the A/PR/8/34 nfluenza A strain when the antibody is administered after the animals have been infected with nfluenza A.
• the invention therefore provides compositions including human, humanized and :himeric antibodies that bind to influenza virus protein M2, pharmaceutical compositions ontaining human, humanized and chimeric antibody and kits containing the antibody.
• the luman, humanized and chimeric antibodies of the invention are useful for treating influenza in a ubject having or at risk of having influenza, including before infection (prophylaxis) or Dllowing infection (therapeutic); influenza diagnostics, including measuring virus titre; urification/isolation including purifying or isolating whole virus or M2 protein; and other assay ystems.
• the invention therefore also provides methods of using the antibodies in therapy (e.g., treatment of influenza infection), diagnostics (detecting amounts of influenza or M2 protein in a sample) and purification (purifying or isolating influenza virus or M2 protein).
• a human antibody that specifically binds to at least a part of the M2 extracellular domain comprises the amino acid sequence SLLTENETPIRNEWGCRCNDSSD (SEQ ID NO:l), a subsequence thereof or an amino acid variant thereof (e.g., an amino acid substitution, insertion, deletion or addition).
• amino acid substitution is selected from: SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCKCNDSSD, SLPTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNDSSD, SLLTEVETPIRSEWGCRCNDSGD, SFLTENETPIRNEWGCRCNGSSD, SLLTEVETPIRNEWECRCNGSSD, SLLTEVETPTRNGWGCRCSDSSD, or 3LLTEVETPIRNGWECRCNDSSD (SEQ ID NOS:2-8, respectively).
• Antibodies of the invention include polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and mixtures hereof, which can be any of IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD, and any isotype thereof, for example, ]gG ⁇ , IgG 2 , IgG 3 or IgG 4 .
• Antibodies include intact human, humanized and chimeric mmunoglobulin molecules with two full-length heavy chains and two full-length light chains e.g., heavy and light chain variable regions) as well as subsequences of heavy or light chain vhich retain at least a part of a function (M2 binding specificity, M2 binding affinity or anti- nfluenza virus activity) of parental intact human, humanized and chimeric antibody that ipecifically binds M2.
• a function M2 binding specificity, M2 binding affinity or anti- nfluenza virus activity
• Exemplary subsequences include Fab, Fab', (Fab') 2 , Fv, Fd, single-chain 7 vs (scFv), disulfide-linked Fvs (sdFv) and V L or V H , or other M2 protein binding fragment of in intact human or humanized immunoglobulin.
• Antibodies of the invention therefore include teavy-chain variable sequence and light-chain variable sequence of the antibody produced by the tybridoma or a CHO cell line denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC PTA-4025), 161 (ATCC PTA-4026), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• the antibody is produced by a cell line (e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line) denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• a cell line e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line
• Antibodies further include human, humanized and chimeric antibodies having the binding specificity and binding affinity of the human, humanized and chimeric antibodies of the nvention.
• an antibody has the binding specificity of an antibody produced >y a cell line (e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line) denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. > TA-4025; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), 161(ATCC Deposit No. > TA-4026; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), N547 (ATCC Deposit fo.
• a cell line e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line
• an antibody has the binding affinity of an antibody produced by a cell line (e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line) denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No.
• Antibodies of the invention additionally include human, humanized and chimeric mtibodies having the ability to inhibit virus infection in vitro or in vivo or that inhibit M2 rinding of a cell, as the exemplified antibodies produced by a cell line (e.g., a hybridoma or a HO cell line) denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• a cell line e.g., a hybridoma or a HO cell line
• an antibody has an EC 50 less than .0 ⁇ g/ml for inhibiting influenza virus infection of MDCK cells, as determined by a cell based- ELISA assay.
• influenza virus is influenza A virus, such as A/PR/8/34 or A/HK8/68.
• Antibodies of the invention further include human, humanized and chimeric antibodies that bind to two or more M2 proteins having different amino acid sequences, which may optionally be present on different influenza viruses (e.g., strains or isolates).
• the antibody binds to at least a part of an M2 extracellular domain sequence.
• an M2 extracellular domain sequence includes the amino acid sequence SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNDSSD (SEQ ID NO:l), a subsequence thereof or an amino acid variant thereof (e.g., an amino acid substitution, insertion, deletion or addition), such as SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCKCNDSSD (SEQ ID NO:2).
• an M2 extracellular domain sequence is selected from: SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCKCNDSSD, SLPTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNDSSD, SLLTEVETPIRSEWGCRCNDSGD, SFLTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNGSSD, SLLTEVETPIRNEWECRCNGSSD, SLLTEVETPTRNGWGCRCSDSSD, and SLLTEVETPERNGWECRCNDSSD (SEQ ID NOS:2-8, respectively).
• Antibodies of the invention include those that have been modified to form oligomers, e.g., hrough the attachment of as oligomerization domain (e.g., leucine zipper motif) or via a cross- inking agent (e.g., chemical cross linker).
• oligomerization domain e.g., leucine zipper motif
• cross- inking agent e.g., chemical cross linker
• antibodies of the invention include multimeric rms, for example, dimers, trimers, tetramers or higher order human, humanized and chimeric intibody oligomers. Such antibody multimers typically exhibit increased avidity for M2 in ⁇ omparison to monomeric antibody.
• Antibodies of the invention further include one or more heterologous domains that impart L distinct function or activity on a human or humanized antibody that binds M2. Antibodies that include an amino acid heterologous domain when one or more amino acids are distinct from the antibody (i.e., they are not a part of the native antibody).
• a heterologous domain comprises a binding protein (e.g., receptor or ligand binding), an enzyme activity, a drug, an antiviral, a toxin, an immune-modulator, a detectable moiety or a tag.
• the binding protein comprises an antibody having a different binding specificity or affinity than human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds to influenza protein M2.
• the invention further provides multi-specific and multi-functional antibodies (e.g., bispecific and bifunctional antibodies, such as antibodies that bind to two or more antigens or that have two or more functions or activities, respectively).
• Antibodies of the invention can bind to influenza protein M2, optionally present on one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• the antibodies have one or more effects on M2 or influenza virus infectivity, replication, proliferation, titre, severity or duration of one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza, or susceptibility of influenza virus infection, i.e., anti-influenza virus activity.
• a human, humanized or chimeric antibody inhibits infection of a cell in vitro or in vivo by one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• a human, humanized or chimeric antibody reduces influenza virus titer or an amount of an influenza viral protein of one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• a human, humanized or chimeric antibody inhibits or prevents increases in influenza virus titer or an amount of an influenza viral protein of one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• a human, humanized or chimeric antibody protects a subject from infection or decreases susceptibility of the subject to infection by one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• a human, humanized or chimeric antibody decreases one or more symptoms or complications associated with infection by one or more influenza strains or isolates (e.g., chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache).
• human, humanized or chimeric antibody is administered systemically (e.g., intravenous injection, subcutaneous injection, intravenous infusion, intramuscular injection), or locally to mucosal tissue (e.g., nasal passages, sinuses, throat, larynx, esophagus, ear or ear canal) or lung of a subject.
• systemically e.g., intravenous injection, subcutaneous injection, intravenous infusion, intramuscular injection
• mucosal tissue e.g., nasal passages, sinuses, throat, larynx, esophagus, ear or ear canal
• influenza strain is selected from A/PR/8/34 or A/HK/8/68, or other strains selected from H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1, H9N2, H2N1, H4N6, H6N2, H7N2, H7N3, H4N8, H5N2, H2N3, H11N9, H3N8, H1N2, H11N2, H11N9, H7N7, H2N3, H6N1, H13N6, H7N1, H11N1, H7N2 and H5N3.
• Host cells that express invention human, humanized and chimeric antibodies are also srovided.
• Cells include but are not limited to bacteria, yeast, plant, animal (e.g., mammalian ;ells such as hybridoma cell lines and CHO cell lines) as well as whole organisms such as non- luman animals and plants that express an invention human, humanized or chimeric antibody.
• Nucleic acids encoding the invention antibodies are further provided.
• Nucleic acids include vectors for cloning or other genetic nanipulation of the nucleic acid or for expression in solution, in a cell, or in any organism.
• compositions including antibodies of the invention are also provided.
• a composition includes human, humanized or chimeric antibody that binds nfluenza M2 protein and an antiviral agent.
• a composition includes a Luman, humanized or chimeric antibody that binds influenza M2 protein and an agent that nhibits one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza infection (e.g., chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infection or ear infection).
• compositions including invention antibodies and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient are provided.
• a carrier is suitable for administration to mucosal tissue (e.g., nasal passages, sinuses, throat, larynx, esophagus) or lung of a subject.
• Kits that include one or more invention antibodies in a container are also provided.
• a kit includes instructions for treating (prophylaxis or therapeutic), inhibiting, preventing, decreasing susceptibility to, or reducing one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection of a subject by one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• the container comprises an aerosol, spray or squeeze bottle suitable for inhalation or nasal administration to a subject.
• the kit or container includes an antiviral agent (e.g., an antibody or a drug) or an agent that inhibits one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza infection.
• a method includes administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza M2 effective to treat influenza infection of the subject, [n one aspect, the antibody is administered substantially contemporaneously with or following infection of the subject, i.e., therapeutic treatment. In another aspect, the antibody provides a therapeutic benefit. In various aspects, a therapeutic benefit includes reducing or decreasing one ar more symptoms or complications of influenza infection, virus titer, virus replication or an amount of a viral protein of one or more influenza strains.
• Symptoms or complications of [nfluenza infection that can be reduced or decreased include, for example, chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache.
• a therapeutic benefit includes hastening a subject's recovery from influenza infection.
• a method includes administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza M2 effective to inhibit infection of the subject or reduce susceptibility of the subject to influenza infection by one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• the antibody is administered prior to (prophylaxis), substantially contemporaneously with or following infection of the subject.
• the antibody provides a therapeutic benefit.
• a therapeutic benefit includes reducing or decreasing one or more symptoms or complications of influenza infection (e.g., chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache), virus titer or an amount of a viral protein of one or more influenza strains or isolates, or susceptibility of a subject to infection by one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• influenza infection e.g., chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache
• virus titer or an amount of a viral protein of one or more influenza strains or isolates, or susceptibility of a subject to infection by one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• a method includes administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza M2 effective to prevent an increase in influenza virus titer, virus replication or an amount of an influenza viral protein of one or more influenza strains or isolates in the subject.
• a method includes administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza M2 effective to protect the subject from infection, or effective to decrease susceptibility of the subject to infection, by one or more influenza strains or isolates.
• the protection includes reducing or decreasing one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza infection (e.g., chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache).
• Methods of the invention can be practiced with antibody having the binding specificity or binding affinity of an antibody produced by a cell line (e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line) denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• a cell line e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line
• Antibodies can be included in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or jxcipient prior to administration to a subject.
• influenza strain is selected from A/PR/8/34 or A/HK/8/68, or other strains lelected from H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1, H9N2, H2N1, H4N6, H6N2, H7N2, H7N3, H4N8, H5N2, H2N3, HI1N9, H3N8, H1N2, HI1N2, HI1N9, H7N7, H2N3, H6N1, H13N6, H7N1, HllNl,H7N2andH5N3.
• Fi ure 1 illustrates nucleotide and amino acid sequences of variable region of immunoglobulin light chain of C40 antibody (C40Lv (SEQ ID NO: 10)) and of heavy chain (C40Hv (SEQ ID NO:9)).
• Figure 2 shows that antibody nos. 2074, N547, L66 and C40G1 bind to M2 on A) A/PR/8/34 and B) A/HK/8/68 virus infected MDCK cells.
• Figure 3 shows a comparison of protective efficacy of A) C40G1, C40G4 and L30; and B) no. 2074, FI and F2 antibodies, and that IgGl isotype M2 antibodies provide greater protection of animals from a lethal virus challenge than antibodies with weak binding affinity to M2 on viral infected MDCK cells (i.e. FI and F2).
• Fi ure 4 illustrates a comparison of M2 antibody binding to A) M2 peptide/BSA and B) M2 expressed on influenza virus infected cells.
• Figure 5 shows prophylactic protection of animals administered M2 antibody no. 2074.
• Figure 6 shows therapeutic protection of animals administered M2 antibody no. 2074.
• the invention is based at least in part on human, humanized and chimeric anti-M2 monoclonal antibodies.
• Several of the invention antibodies have broad reactivity against various M2 extracellular domain sequences based upon divergent influenza A virus strains. Passive transfer of an invention human anti-M2 monoclonal antibody protected animals from a lethal dose challenge of influenza A/PR/8/34, in both prophylactic (prior to virus infection) and therapeutic (following virus infection) mouse influenza models.
• Antibodies of the invention are therefore useful for treating a broad array of influenza strains or isolates.
• invention antibodies are human they are less likely to induce hypersensitivity from repeated administration and are more likely to remain in a subjects' (e.g., a human) body for a longer period of time.
• an extracellular domain comprises the amino acid sequence SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNDSSD (SEQ ID NO: 1), a portion thereof or an amino acid variant thereof (e.g., an amino acid substitution, insertion, deletion or addition), such as SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCKCNDSSD (SEQ ID NO:2).
• an extracellular domain having an amino acid substitution is selected from: SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCKCNDSSD, SLPTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNDSSD, SLLTEVETPIRSEWGCRCNDSGD, SFLTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNGSSD, SLLTEVETPIRNEWECRCNGSSD, 3LLTEVETPTRNGWGCRCSDSSD, and SLLTEVETPIRNGWECRCNDSSD (SEQ ID ⁇ OS:2-8, respectively).
• antibody refers to a protein that binds to other molecules (antigens) via heavy tnd light chain variable domains, VH and V , respectively.
• Antibody refers to any mmunoglobulin molecule, such as IgM, IgG, IgA, IgE, IgD, and any subclass thereof.
• the erm “antibody” also means a functional fragment of immunoglobulin molecules, such as Fab, r ab', (Fab') 2 , Fv, Fd, scFv and sdFv, unless otherwise expressly stated.
• M2 antibody or "anti-M2 antibody” means an antibody that specifically •inds to influenza M2 protein. Specific binding is that which is selective for an epitope present in M2 protein. That is, binding to proteins other than M2 is such that the binding does not significantly interfere with detection of M2. Selective binding can be distinguished from non- selective binding using assays known in the art.
• Exemplary antibodies of the invention are denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA- 4025), 161(ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No. ; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), L66 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), C40G1 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), LI 7 (ATCC Deposit No.
• Exemplary heavy-chain variable sequence and light-chain variable sequence is an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:l 1 and SEQ ID NO: 12, respectively.
• a “monoclonal” antibody is therefore defined herein structurally, and not the method by which it is produced.
• a specific name, numeral or other designation given to a hybridoma or other cell line such as no. 2074, 161, N547, L66 and C40G1, also is used to refer to the name of antibody.
• human when used in reference to an antibody, means that the amino acid sequence of the antibody is fully human.
• a “human M2 antibody” or “human anti-M2 antibody” -herefore refers to an antibody having human immunoglobulin amino acid sequences, i.e., human leavy and light chain variable and constant regions that specifically bind to M2. That is, all of the antibody amino acids are human or exist in a human antibody.
• an antibody that is non-human may be made fully human by substituting the non-human amino acid residues with amino acid residues that exist in a human antibody.
• Amino acid residues present in human antibodies, CDR region maps and human antibody consensus residues are known in the art (see, e.g., Kabat, Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest 4 th Ed.US Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service (1987); and Chothia and Lesk J. Mol. Biol. 186:651 (1987)).
• a consensus sequence of human VH subgroup III based on a survey of 22 known human VH III sequences, and a consensus sequence of human V kappa-chain subgroup I, based on a survey of 30 known human kappa I sequences is described in Padlan Mol. Immunol. 31:169 (1994); and Padlan Mol. Immunol. 28:489 (1991)).
• humanized when used in reference to an antibody, means that the amino acid sequence of the antibody has non-human amino acid residues (e.g., mouse, rat, goat, rabbit, etc.) of one or more determining regions (CDRs) that specifically bind to the desired antigen (e.g., M2) in an acceptor human immunoglobulin molecule, and one or more human amino acid residues in the Fv framework region (FR), which are amino acid residues that flank the CDRs.
• CDRs determining regions
• FR Fv framework region
• Residues in the human framework regions can therefore be substituted with a corresponding residue from the non-human CDR donor antibody to alter, generally to improve, intigen affinity or specificity, for example.
• a humanized antibody may include esidues, which are found neither in the human antibody nor in the donor CDR or framework ;equences.
• a framework substitution at a particular position that is not found in a luman antibody or the donor non-human antibody may be predicted to improve binding affinity >r specificity human antibody at that position.
• Antibody framework and CDR substitutions based upon molecular modeling are well known in the art, e.g., by modeling of the interactions of the CDR and framework residues to identify framework residues important for antigen binding and sequence comparison to identify unusual framework residues at particular positions (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 5,585,089; and Riechmann et al., Nature 332:323 (1988)).
• Antibodies referred to as "primatized” in the art are within the meaning of "humanized” as used herein, except that the acceptor human immunoglobulin molecule and framework region amino acid residues may be any primate residue, in addition to any human residue.
• chimeric and grammatical variations thereof, when used in reference to an antibody, means that the amino acid sequence of the antibody contains one or more portions that are derived from, obtained or isolated from, or based upon two or more different species. That is, for example, a portion of the antibody may be human (e.g., a constant region) and another portion of the antibody may be non-human (e.g., a murine variable region).
• a chimeric antibody is a molecule in which different portions of the antibody are of different species origins. Unlike a humanized antibody, a chimeric antibody can have the different species sequences in any region of the antibody.
• An example of a chimeric antibody is antibody no. 2074, which has mouse lambda light chain and human gamma heavy chain.
• M2 refers to all or a portion of an M2 protein sequence (e.g., a subsequence such as the extracellular domain) isolated from, based upon or present in any naturally occurring or artificially produced influenza virus strain or isolate.
• M2 and the like include naturally occurring M2 sequence variants produced by mutation during the virus life-cycle or produced in response to a selective pressure (e.g., drug therapy, expansion of host cell tropism or infectivity, etc.), as well as recombinantly or synthetically produced M2 sequences.
• M2 antibodies of the invention include antibodies having kappa or lambda light chain sequences, either full length as in naturally occurring antibodies, mixtures thereof (i.e, fusions of kappa and lambda chain sequences), and subsequences thereof, as described in detail below.
• Naturally occurring antibody molecules contain two kappa and two lambda light chains. The primary difference between kappa and lambda light chains is in the sequences of the constant region.
• M2 antibodies include antibodies having the binding specificity of the M2 antibodies exemplified herein, e.g., having the binding specificity of an antibody denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161(ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No. ; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), L66 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), C40G1 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), LI 7 (ATCC Deposit No.
• an M2 antibody has a heavy (H) or light (L) chain sequence, or a subsequence thereof, as set forth in any of nos. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA- 4025), 161(ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• binding specificity when used in reference to an antibody means that the antibody specifically binds to all or a part of the same antigenic epitope as the reference antibody.
• an M2 antibody having the binding specificity of the antibody denoted as no. 2074 specifically binds to all or a part of the same epitope as the M2 antibody denoted as no.
• an M2 antibody having the binding specificity of the antibody denoted as 161 specifically binds to all or a part of the same epitope as the M2 antibody denoted as 161 ;
• an M2 antibody having the binding specificity of the antibody denoted as N547 specifically binds to all or a part of the same epitope as the M2 antibody denoted as N547;
• an M2 antibody having the binding specificity of the antibody denoted as L66 specifically binds to all or a part of the same epitope as the M2 antibody denoted as L66;
• an M2 antibody having the binding specificity of the antibody denoted as C40G1 specifically binds to all or a part of the same epitope as the M2 antibody denoted as C40G1 ; and so on and so forth.
• a part of an antigenic epitope means a subsequence or a portion of the epitope. For example, if an epitope includes 8 contiguous amino acids, a subsequence and, therefore, a part of an epitope may be 7 or fewer amino acids within this 8 amino acid sequence epitope. In addition, if an epitope includes non-contiguous amino acid sequences, such as a 5 amino acid sequence and an 8 amino acid sequence which are not contiguous with each other, but form an epitope due to protein folding, a subsequence and, therefore, a part of an epitope may be either the 5 amino acid sequence or the 8 amino acid sequence alone.
• Antibodies having the binding specificity of the M2 antibodies exemplified herein compete with the binding of no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No. ; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), L66 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), C40G1 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), LI 7 (ATCC Deposit No.
• An antibody of the invention having binding specificity of the M2 antibodies exemplified herein may be characterized by any method known in the art for determining competitive binding, for example, the immunoassays disclosed herein. Because the binding affinity may differ from the exemplified antibodies, the antibodies will vary in their ability to compete for binding to M2.
• the antibody competitively inhibits binding by at least 95%, at least 90%, at least 85%, at least 80%, at least 75%, at least 70%, at least 65%, at least 60%, at least 55%, at least 50%, at least 45%, at least 40%, at least 35%, or at least 30%, or less.
• Epitopes typically are short amino acid sequences, e.g. about five to 15 amino acids in length. Systematic techniques for identifying epitopes are known in the art and are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No.4,708,871.
• a set of overlapping oligopeptides derived from an M2 antigen may be synthesized and bound to a solid phase array of pins, with a unique oligopeptide on each pin.
• the array of pins may comprise a 96- well microtiter plate, permitting one to assay all 96 oligopeptides simultaneously, e.g., for binding to an anti-M2 monoclonal antibody.
• phage display peptide library kits (New England BioLabs) are currently commercially available for epitope mapping. Using these methods, binding affinity for every possible subset of consecutive amino acids may be determined in order to identify the epitope that a particular antibody binds. Epitopes may also be identified by inference when epitope length peptide sequences are used to immunize animals from which antibodies that bind to the peptide sequence are obtained.
• M2 antibodies also include human, humanized and chimeric antibodies having the same binding affinity and having substantially the same binding affinity as the M2 antibodies exemplified herein.
• an M2 antibody of the invention may have an affinity greater or less than 2-5, 5-10, 10-100, 100-100 or 1000-10,000 fold affinity as the reference antibody.
• the invention provides M2 antibodies having the same binding affinity and having substantially the same binding affinity as the antibodies denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• the term "the same,” when used in reference to antibody binding affinity, neans that the dissociation constant (Kp) is within about 5 to 100 fold of the reference antibody 5-100 fold greater affinity or less affinity than the reference antibody).
• the term “substantially he same” when used in reference to antibody binding affinity, means that the dissociation jonstant (K D ) is within about 5 to 5000 fold of the reference antibody (5-5000 fold greater iffinity or less affinity than the reference antibody).
• Additional antibodies included in the invention have a binding specificity of the mtibodies denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA- K)26;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No. ; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, eceived by ATCC on March 11, 2003), L66 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), C40G1 (ATCC )eposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), LI 7 (ATCC Deposit No.
• human M2 antibodies include antibodies having at least a part of one or more anti-influenza activities of the M2 antibodies exemplified herein (e.g., inhibit influenza virus infection of a cell in vitro or in vivo, inhibit influenza virus proliferation or replication, decrease one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection, decrease susceptibility to influenza virus infection, etc.).
• the invention provides M2 antibodies having at least a part of one or more anti-influenza activities of the antibodies denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161(ATCC Deposit No. PTA- 4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• the term "activity,” when used in comparing an antibody to a reference antibody, means that the antibody has at least a part of an activity as the reference antibody, for example, binding affinity, binding specificity or anti-influenza activity.
• an antibody having an activity of the M2 antibody denoted as N547 has at least a part of one or more activities of the M2 antibody denoted as N547;
• an antibody having an activity of the M2 antibody denoted as L66 has at least a part of one or more activities of the M2 antibody denoted as L66;
• an antibody having an activity af the M2 antibody denoted as C40G1 has at least a part of one or more activities of the M2 antibody denoted as C40G1 ; and so on and so forth.
• the term “at least a part” means that the antibody may have less activity but the antibody retains at least some of the activity of the reference M2 antibody, e.g., at least partial binding affinity for M2, at least partial anti-influenza activity
• Antibodies having an activity of exemplified human M2 antibodies can be identified using binding assay with plate-bound M2 peptide as a coating antigen (ELISA), binding assay to M2 protein on viral infected MDCK cells (cell based ELISA), and specific inhibition of antibody binding to M2 on the viral infected MDCK cells with M2 peptide (M2 extracellular portion). Additional assays include in vitro cell infectivity assays with influenza virus (Zebedee et al. J. Virology 62:2762(1988)) as well as in vivo animal assays as set forth in Examples 1, 3 and 4.
• M2 protein conjugated to KLH or BSA was used to immunize human transchromosomic KM mice (WO 02/43478) or HAC mice (WO 02/092812).
• KM mice o ⁇ HAC mice express human immunoglobulin genes.
• splenocytes from immunized mice that were high responders to M2 antigen were isolated and fused with myeloma cells. Twelve monoclonal antibodies were obtained, denoted no.
• M2 Monoclonal antibodies can also be readily generated using other techniques including hrybridoma, recombinant, and phage display technologies, or a combination thereof (see U.S. Patent Nos. 4,902,614, 4,543,439, and 4,411,993; see, also Monoclonal Antibodies. Hvbridomas: New Dimension in Biological Analyses, Plenum Press, Kennett, McKearn, and Bechtol (eds.), 1980, and Harlow et al., Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2nd ed. 1988).
• Suitable techniques that additionally may be employed in the method including M2 affinity purification, non-denaturing gel purification, HPLC or RP-HPLC, jurification on protein A column, or any combination of these techniques.
• the antibody isotype can be determined using an ELISA assay, for example, a human Ig can be identified using mouse [g-absorbed anti-human Ig.
• Antibodies can be humanized using a variety of techniques known in the art including, for example, CDR-grafting (EP 239,400; W091/09967; U.S. Patent Nos. 5,225,539; 5,530,101; uid 5,585,089), veneering or resurfacing (EP 592,106; EP 519,596; Padlan, Molecular Immunol. 8:489 (1991); Studnicka et al., Protein Engineering 7:805 (1994); Roguska. et al., Proc. Natl icad. Set USA 91:969 (1994)), and chain shuffling (U.S. Patent No. 5,565,332). Human consensus sequences (Padlan Mol. Immunol.
• M2 protein suitable for generating antibodies can be produced by any of a variety of standard protein purification or recombinant expression techniques known in the art.
• M2 can be produced by standard peptide synthesis techniques, such as solid-phase synthesis.
• a portion of the protein may contain an amino acid sequence such as a T7 tag or polyhistidine sequence to facilitate purification of expressed or synthesized M2.
• M2 peptides may be expressed in a cell and protein produced by the cells may be purified.
• M2 protein may be expressed as a part of a larger protein by recombinant methods.
• Forms of M2 suitable for generating an immune response include peptide subsequences of full length M2 (e.g., typically four to five amino acids or more in length). Additional forms of M2 include M2 containing preparations or extracts, partially purified M2 as well as cells or viruses that express M2 or preparations of such expressing cells or viruses.
• Animals which may be immunized include mice, rabbits, rats, sheep, goats, or guinea pigs; such animals may be genetically modified to include human IgG gene loci. Additionally, to increase the immune response, M2 can be coupled to another protein such as ovalbumin or keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), thyroglobulin and tetanus toxoid, or mixed with an adjuvant such as Freund's complete or incomplete adjuvant.
• KLH keyhole limpet hemocyanin
• thyroglobulin and tetanus toxoid or mixed with an adjuvant such as Freund's complete or incomplete adjuvant.
• Initial and any optional subsequent immunization may be through intraperitoneal, intramuscular, intraocular, or subcutaneous routes. Subsequent immunizations may be at the same or at different concentrations of M2 antigen preparation, and may be at regular or irregular intervals.
• the invention provides methods of producing human M2 antibodies, including antibodies having one or more an anti-influenza activities, such as inhibiting influenza virus infection, replication, proliferation, or titre, or inhibiting increases in virus replication, proliferation or titre, or reducing the severity or duration of one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza infection, or susceptibility to infection, or having broad reactivity against various influenza virus strains or isolates.
• an anti-influenza activities such as inhibiting influenza virus infection, replication, proliferation, or titre, or inhibiting increases in virus replication, proliferation or titre, or reducing the severity or duration of one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza infection, or susceptibility to infection, or having broad reactivity against various influenza virus strains or isolates.
• a method includes administering M2 or an immunogenic fragment thereof to an animal (e.g., a mouse) capable of expressing human immunoglobulin; screening the animal for expression of human M2 antibody; selecting an animal that produces a human M2 antibody; isolating an antibody from the animal that produces human M2 antibody; and determining whether the human M2 antibody binds to M2.
• an animal e.g., a mouse
• a method in another embodiment, includes administering human M2 or an immunogenic fragment thereof to an animal (e.g., a mouse) capable of expressing human immunoglobulin; isolating spleen cells from the mouse that produces human M2 antibody; fusing the spleen cells with a myeloma cell to produce a hybridoma; and screening the hybridoma for expression of a human M2 antibody that has an anti-influenza activity.
• an animal e.g., a mouse
• the invention further provides human M2 antibodies that have been modified.
• Df modifications include one or more amino acid substitutions, additions or deletions of the antibody, provided that the modified antibody has all or at least part of an activity of unmodified M2 antibody, e.g., an anti-influenza activity.
• a particular example of a modification is where an antibody of the invention is altered to have a different isotype or subclass by, for example, substitution of the heavy chain constant region (see, for example, Example 2).
• An alteration of the Ig subclass of an M2 antibody C40 from IgG4 to IgGl results in an improvement in an anti-influenza activity.
• modifications include deleting large regions of amino acid sequences from an invention antibody and substituting the region with another amino acid sequence, whether the sequence is greater or shorter in length than the deleted region.
• antibody derivatives i.e., the covalent attachment of any type of molecule to the antibody.
• Specific examples of antibody derivatives include antibodies that have been glycosylated, acetylated, phosphorylated, amidated, formylated, ubiquitinated, and derivatization by protecting/blocking groups and any of numerous chemical modifications.
• amino acid substitutions may be with the same amino acid, except that a naturally occurring L-amino acid is substituted with a D-form amino acid.
• Amino acid substitutions can be conservative or non-conservative and may be in the constant or variable regions of the antibody. One or a few conservative amino acid substitutions in constant or variable regions are likely to be tolerated. Particular examples of conservative amino acid substitutions are He, Val, Leu or Ala for one another; Lys and Arg for one another; Glu and Asp for one another; and Gin and Asn for one another.
• Non-conservative substitution of multiple amino acids in hypervariable regions is likely to affect binding activity, specificity or antibody function or activity.
• substitutions in a hypervariable region may be assayed for their effect n order to identify those retaining at least a part of the binding activity, specificity or antibody function or activity of unsubstituted antibody.
• Such antibodies having amino acid substitutions ire included so long as at least a part of binding specificity, binding affinity, or an anti-influenza activity of unmodified human M2 antibody is retained by the substituted antibody.
• Human monoclonal M2 antibodies of the invention therefore include subsequences (e.g., fragments) and modified forms (e.g., sequence variants) as set forth herein.
• human M2 antibody subsequences include an Fab, Fab' and F(ab')2, Fd, single- chain Fvs (scFv), single-chain antibodies, disulfide-linked Fvs (sdFv) and V L or VH domain fragments.
• an Fab, Fab' and F(ab')2, Fd, single-chain Fvs (scFv), single- chain antibodies, disulfide-linked Fvs (sdFv) and V L or VH domain subsequence has the same binding affinity, substantially the same binding affinity, the same binding specificity, or one or more anti-influenza activities, e.g., efficacy in inhibiting influenza infection of a cell in vitro or in vivo as the reference M2 antibody (e.g., the full length or unmodified M2 antibody).
• M2- binding antibody subsequences include variable region(s) alone or in combination with all or a portion of one or more of the following: hinge region, CHI, CH2, and CH3 domains. Also included are antigen-binding subsequences of any combination of variable region(s) with a hinge region, CHI, CH2, and CH3 domains.
• M2 antibody subsequences (e.g., Fab, Fab', F(ab')2, Fd, scFv, sdFv and V L or VH) of the invention can be prepared by proteolytic hydrolysis of the antibody, for example, by pepsin or papain digestion of whole antibodies.
• the terms "functional subsequence” and "functional fragment” when referring to an antibody of the invention refers to a portion of an antibody that retains at least a part of one or more functions or activities as the intact reference antibody.
• Antibody fragments can be produced by enzymatic cleavage with pepsin provide a 5S fragment denoted F(ab') 2 .
• This fragment can be further cleaved using a thiol reducing agent to produce 3.5S Fab' monovalent fragments.
• a thiol reducing agent to produce 3.5S Fab' monovalent fragments.
• an enzymatic cleavage using pepsin produces two monovalent Fab' fragments and the Fc fragment directly (see, e.g., Goldenberg, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,036,945 and 4,331,647; and Edelman et al. Methods in Enymology 1:422 (1967)).
• Other methods of cleaving antibodies such as separation of heavy chains to form monovalent light-heavy chain fragments, further cleavage of fragments, or other enzymatic or chemical may also be used.
• Genetic techniques include expression of all or a part of the M2 antibody gene into a host cell such as Cos cells or E. coli.
• the recombinant host cells synthesize intact or single antibody chain, such as a scFv (see, e.g., Whitlow et al., In: Methods: A Companion to Methods in Enzvmology 2:97 (1991), Bird et al., Science 242:423 (1988); and U.S. Patent No. 4,946,778).
• Single-chain Fvs and antibodies can be produced as described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,946,778 and 5,258,498; Huston et al., Methods Enzymol. 203:46 (1991); Shu et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Set USA 90:7995 (1993); and Skerra et al., Science 240:1038 (1988).
• modified M2 antibody having an amino acid addition is one in which a second heterologous sequence, i.e., heterologous functional domain is attached that confers a distinct or complementary function upon the antibody.
• a second heterologous sequence i.e., heterologous functional domain is attached that confers a distinct or complementary function upon the antibody.
• an amino acid tag such as T7 or polyhistidine can be attached to M2 antibody in order to facilitate purification or detection of M2 or influenza virus(es).
• an antiviral attached to an M2 antibody in order to target cells infected with influenza for virus killing, proliferation inhibition, replication inhibition, etc.
• the invention provides M2 antibodies and a heterologous domain, wherein the domain confers a distinct function, i.e. a heterologous functional domain, on the antibody.
• Heterologous functional domains are not restricted to amino acid residues.
• a heterologous functional domain can consist of any of a variety of different types of small or large functional moieties.
• Such moieties include nucleic acid, peptide, carbohydrate, lipid or small organic compounds, such as a drug (e.g., an antiviral).
• Linker sequences may be inserted between the antibody sequence and the heterologous functional domain so that the two entities maintain, at least in part, a distinct function or activity.
• Linker sequences may have one or more properties that include a flexible conformation, an inability to form an ordered secondary structure or a hydrophobic or charged character which could promote or interact with either domain.
• Amino acids typically found in flexible protein regions include Gly, Asn and Ser.
• Other near neutral amino acids, such as Thr and Ala may also be used in the linker sequence.
• the length of the linker sequence may vary without significantly affecting a function or activity of the fusion protein (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,087,329).
• heterologous functional domains are detectable labels.
• the invention provides human M2 antibodies that are detectably labeled.
• detectable labels include fluorophores, chromophores, radioactive isotopes (e.g., S 35 , P 32 , 1 125 ), electron-dense reagents, enzymes, ligands and receptors.
• Enzymes are typically detected by their activity. For example, horseradish peroxidase is usually detected by its ability to convert a substrate such as S ⁇ ' ⁇ S'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to a blue pigment, which can be quantified.
• Ligands may bind other molecules such as biotin, which may bind avidin or streptavidin, and IgG, which can bind protein A.
• a M2 antibody may have two or more variations, modifications or abels.
• a monoclonal antibody may be coupled to biotin to detect its presence with ividin as well as labeled with I 125 so that it provides a detectable signal.
• biotin may be coupled to biotin to detect its presence with ividin as well as labeled with I 125 so that it provides a detectable signal.
• the invention further provides nucleic acids encoding the human M2 antibodies of the invention, including modified forms, fragments, chimeras, etc.
• a nucleic acid encodes intact or single chain M2 antibody denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• nucleic acid or “polynucleotide” are used interchangeably to refer to all forms of nucleic acid, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
• the nucleic acids can be double, single strand, or triplex, linear or circular.
• Nucleic acids include genomic DNA, cDNA, and antisense.
• RNA nucleic acid can be spliced or unspliced mRNA, rRNA, tRNA or antisense.
• Nucleic acids of the invention include naturally occurring, synthetic, as well as nucleotide analogues and derivatives. Such altered or modified polynucleotides include analogues that provide nuclease resistance, for example.
• Nucleic acid can be of any length. For example, a subsequence of any of no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161(ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No. ; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), L66 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), C40G1 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), LI 7 (ATCC Deposit No.
• a nucleic acid includes a heavy-chain variable sequence and light-chain variable sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:9 and SEQ ID NO: 10.
• a nucleic acid encodes a heavy-chain variable sequence and light-chain variable sequence as set forth in the SEQ ID NO: 11 and SEQ ID NO: 12.
• nucleic acids include sequences that are degenerate with respect to sequences encoding no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4025), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA-4026;), N547 (ATCC Deposit No. ; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), L66 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), C40G1 (ATCC Deposit No.; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA, received by ATCC on March 11, 2003), LI 7 (ATCC Deposit No.
• Nucleic acid can be produced using any of a variety of well known standard cloning and chemical synthesis methods and can be altered intentionally by site-directed mutagenesis or other recombinant techniques known to those skilled in the art. Purity of polynucleotides can be determined through sequencing, gel electrophoresis and the like. Nucleic acids of the invention may be inserted into a nucleic acid construct in which expression of the nucleic acid is influenced or regulated by an "expression control element," referred to herein as an "expression cassette.”
• expression control element refers to one or more nucleic acid sequence elements that regulate or influence expression of a nucleic acid sequence to which it is operatively linked. An expression control element can include, as appropriate, promoters, enhancers, transcription terminators, gene silencers, a start codon (e.g., ATG) in front of a protein-encoding gene, etc.
• An expression control element operatively linked to a nucleic acid sequence controls transcription and, as appropriate, translation of the nucleic acid sequence.
• the term "operatively linked” refers to a juxtaposition wherein the referenced components are in a relationship permitting them to function in their intended manner.
• expression control elements are juxtaposed at the 5' or the 3' ends of the genes but can also be intronic.
• Expression control elements include elements that activate transcription constitutively, that are inducible (i.e., require an external signal for activation), or derepressible (i.e., require a signal to turn transcription off; when the signal is no longer present, transcription is activated or 'derepressed”). Also included in the expression cassettes of the invention are control elements sufficient to render gene expression controllable for specific cell-types or tissues (i.e., tissue- specific control elements). Typically, such elements are located upstream or downstream (i.e., 5' and 3') of the coding sequence. Promoters are generally positioned 5' of the coding sequence. Promoters, produced by recombinant DNA or synthetic techniques, can be used to provide for ranscription of the polynucleotides of the invention.
• a “promoter” is meant a minimal sequence ⁇ lement sufficient to direct transcription.
• the nucleic acids of the invention may be inserted into a plasmid for propagation into a host cell and for subsequent genetic manipulation if desired.
• a plasmid is a nucleic acid that can be stably propagated in a host cell, plasmids may optionally contain expression control elements in order to drive expression of the nucleic acid encoding M2 antibody in the host cell.
• a vector is used herein synonymously with a plasmid and may also include an expression control element for expression in a host cell. Plasmids and vectors generally contain at least an origin of replication for propagation in a cell and a promoter. Plasmids and vectors are therefore useful for genetic manipulation of M2 antibody encoding nucleic acids, producing M2 antibodies or antisense, and expressing the M2 antibodies in host cells or organisms, for example.
• Nucleic acids encoding variable regions of the antibody heavy and light chains, or encoding full length antibody heavy and light chains can be isolated from a hybridoma. Isolated nucleic acids may be inserted into a suitable expression vector, and introduced into suitable host cells such as yeast or CHO cells which can be cultured for the production of recombinant M2 antibodies.
• Bacterial system promoters include T7 and inducible promoters such as pL of bacteriophage ⁇ , plac, ptrp, ptac (ptrp-lac hybrid promoter) and tetracycline responsive promoters.
• Insect cell system promoters include constitutive or inducible promoters (e.g., ecdysone).
• Mammalian cell constitutive promoters include SV40, RSV, bovine papilloma virus (BPV) and other virus promoters, or inducible promoters derived from the genome of mammalian cells (e.g., metallothionein HA promoter; heat shock promoter) or from mammalian viruses (e.g., the adenovirus late promoter; the inducible mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat).
• a retroviral genome can be genetically modified for introducing and directing expression of a M2 antibody in appropriate host cells.
• Expression systems further include vectors designed for in vivo use. Particular non- limiting examples include adenoviral vectors (U.S. Patent Nos.
• Yeast vectors include constitutive and inducible promoters (see, e.g., Ausubel et al., In: Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol. 2, Ch. 13, ed., Greene Publish. Assoc. & Wiley Interscience, 1988; Grant et al. Methods in Enzvmology. 153:516 (1987), eds. Wu & Grossman; Bitter Methods in Enzymology. 152:673 (1987), eds. Berger & Kimmel, Acad. Press, N.Y.; and, Strathern et al., The Molecular Biology of the Yeast Saccharomyces (1982) eds. Cold Spring Harbor Press, Vols.
• a constitutive yeast promoter such as ADH or LEU2 or an inducible promoter such as GAL may be used (R. Rothstein In: DNA Cloning. A Practical Approach. Vol.l 1, Ch. 3, ed. D.M. Glover, IRL Press, Wash., D.C., 1986).
• Vectors that facilitate integration of foreign nucleic acid sequences into a yeast chromosome, via homologous recombination for example, are known in the art.
• Yeast artificial chromosomes YAC are typically used when the inserted polynucleotides are too large for more conventional vectors (e.g., greater than about 12 kb).
• Host cells including nucleic acids encoding human M2 antibodies are also provided.
• the host cell is a prokaryotic cell.
• the host cell is a eukaryotic cell.
• the eukaryotic cell is a yeast or mammalian (e.g., human, primate, etc.) cell.
• a "host cell” is a cell into which a nucleic acid is introduced that can be propagated, transcribed, or encoded M2 antibodyexpressed.
• the term also includes any progeny or subclones of the host cell. Progeny cells and subclones need not be identical to the parental cell since there may be mutations that occur during replication and proliferation. Nevertheless, such cells are considered to be host cells of the invention.
• Host cells include but are not limited to microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast; and plant, insect and mammalian cells.
• bacteria transformed with recombinant bacteriophage nucleic acid, plasmid nucleic acid or cosmid nucleic acid expression vectors yeast transformed with recombinant yeast expression vectors
• plant cell systems infected with recombinant virus expression vectors e.g., cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMV; tobacco mosaic virus, TMV
• recombinant plasmid expression vectors e.g., Ti plasmid
• insect cell systems infected with recombinant virus expression vectors e.g., baculovirus
• animal cell systems infected with recombinant virus expression vectors e.g., retroviruses, adenovirus, vaccinia virus, or transformed animal cell systems engineered for stable expression, are provided.
• Expression vectors also can contain a selectable marker conferring resistance to a selective pressure or identifiable marker (e.g., ⁇ -galactosidase), thereby allowing cells having the vector to be selected for, grown and expanded.
• a selectable marker can be on a second vector which is cotransfected into a host cell with a first vector containing an invention polynucleotide.
• Selection systems include but are not limited to herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (Wigler et al., Cell 11:223 (1977)), hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene (Szybalska et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Set USA 48:2026 (1962)), and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (Lowy et al., Cell 22:817 (1980)) genes which can be employed in tk-, hgprt- or aprt- cells respectively.
• antimetabohte resistance can be used as the basis of selection for dhfr, which confers resistance to methotrexate (O'Hare et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Set USA 78:1527 (1981)); the gpt gene, which confers resistance to mycophenolic acid (Mulligan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Set USA 78:2072 (1981)); neomycin gene, which confers resistance to aminoglycoside G-418 (Colberre-Garapin et al., J. Mol. Biol.
• hygromycin gene which confers resistance to hygromycin (Santerre et al., Gene 30:147 (1984)).
• Additional selectable genes include trpB, which allows cells to utilize indole in place of tryptophan; hisD, which allows cells to utilize histinol in place of histidine (Hartman et al, Proc. Natl. Acad.
• Methods for treating influenza virus infection of a subject include administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza M2 protein effective to treat influenza virus infection of the subject.
• the antibody can be administered prior to infection, i.e., prophylaxis, substantially contemporaneously with infection, or following infection of the subject, i.e., therapeutic treatment.
• Methods of the invention include providing a therapeutic benefit to a subject, for example, reducing or decreasing one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection, reducing or inhibiting increases in virus titer, virus replication, virus proliferation, or an amount of a viral protein of one or more influenza virus strains or isolates.
• Symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection that can be reduced or decreased include, for example, chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache.
• a therapeutic benefit can also include reducing susceptibility of a subject to influenza virus infection or hastening a subject's recovery from influenza virus infection.
• a method includes administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza virus M2 effective to inhibit virus infection of the subject or reduce susceptibility of the subject to virus infection by one or more influenza virus strains or isolates.
• the antibody is administered prior to (prophylaxis), substantially contemporaneously with or following infection of the subject (therapeutic).
• the antibody can provide a therapeutic benefit which includes, for example, reducing or decreasing the severity or duration of one or more symptoms or complications of influenza virus infection (e.g., chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache), virus titer or an amount of a viral protein of one or more influenza virus strains or isolates, or susceptibility of a subject to infection by one or more influenza virus strains or isolates.
• influenza virus infection e.g., chills, fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, nasal infection, sinus infection, body ache, head ache, fatigue, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infection or ear ache
• virus titer or an amount of a viral protein of one or more influenza virus strains or isolates, or susceptibility of a subject to infection by one or more influenza virus strains or isolates.
• a method includes administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza M2 effective to prevent an increase in influenza virus titer, virus replication or an amount of an influenza viral protein of one or more influenza strains or isolates in the subject.
• a method includes administering to the subject an amount of a human, humanized or chimeric antibody that specifically binds influenza M2 effective to protect the subject from virus infection, effective to decrease susceptibility of the subject to virus infection or hastening a subject's recovery from virus infection, by one or more influenza virus strains or isolates.
• Methods of the invention can be practiced with any antibody having the binding specificity or the same or substantially the same binding affinity of an antibody produced by a cell line (e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line) denoted as no. 2074 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA- 4025; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), 161 (ATCC Deposit No. PTA- 4026; American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA), N547 (ATCC Deposit No.
• a cell line e.g., a hybridoma or a CHO cell line
• influenza strains are A/PR 8/34 or A/HK/8/68, or other strains selected from H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1, H9N2, H2N1, H4N6, H6N2, H7N2, H7N3, H4N8, H5N2, H2N3, HI 1N9, H3N8, H1N2, HI 1N2, HI 1N9, H7N7, H2N3, H6N1, H13N6, H7N1, H11N1, H7N2 and H5N3.
• Human, humanized and chimeric M2 antibodies of the invention may be used alone or in combination with therapeutic agents having anti-influenza activity, e.g., that inhibit influenza /irus infection, replication, proliferation, or reduce the severity or duration of one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection.
• therapeutic agents having anti-influenza activity e.g., that inhibit influenza /irus infection, replication, proliferation, or reduce the severity or duration of one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection.
• examples of such combinations include pooled monoclonal antibodies containing two or more different M2 mtibodies with different binding specificity, binding affinity, or efficacy in inhibiting influenza irus infection of a cell in vitro or in vivo. Accordingly, combination compositions including M2 mtibodies are provided, as well as methods of using such combinations in accordance with the nethods of the invention.
• the methods of the invention including treating influenza or a disorder or complication associated with influenza virus infection, likely results in an improvement in the subjects' condition, a reduction of the severity or duration of one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection, or decreasing the subject's risk for developing symptoms or contracting the infection, e.g, susceptibility to influenza virus infection.
• An improvement therefore includes one or more decreased or reduced virus proliferation, replication, or titre, or symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection.
• An improvement also includes reducing the dosage frequency or amount of an antiviral drug or other agent used for treating a subject having or at risk of having an influenza virus infection, or a symptom or complication associated with influenza virus infection.
• treatment need not be complete ablation of any or all symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection. Rather, treatment may be any measurable or detectable anti-influenza virus effect or improvement as set forth herein. Thus, a satisfactory clinical endpoint is achieved when there is an incremental improvement or a partial reduction in the subjects condition or associated symptoms or complications, or an inhibition of worsening of the condition, over a short or long duration.
• Subjects appropriate for treatment include those having or at risk of having influenza virus infection.
• Target subjects also include those at risk of developing an influenza associated symptom or complication.
• the invention methods are therefore applicable to treating a subject who is at risk of influenza virus infection or a complication associated with influenza virus infection. Prophylactic methods are therefore included.
• At risk subjects appropriate for treatment include subjects exposed to other subjects having influenza virus, or where the risk of influenza virus infection is increased due to changes in virus infectivity or cell tropism, immunological susceptibility (e.g., an immunocompromised subject), or environmental factors.
• M2 antibodies can be administered as a single or multiple dose e.g., one time per week for between about 1 to 10 weeks, or for as long as appropriate, for example, to achieve a reduction in the severity of one or more symptoms or complications associated with influenza virus infection.
• Doses can vary depending upon whether the treatment is prophylactic or therapeutic, the severity of the associated disorder or complication being treated, the clinical endpoint desired, previous or simultaneous treatments, the general health, age, sex or race of the subject and other factors that will be appreciated by the skilled artisan. The skilled artisan will appreciate the factors that may influence the dosage and timing required to provide an amount sufficient for therapeutic benefit. Doses can be empirically determined or determined using animal disease models or optionally in human clinical trials.
• subject refers to animals, typically mammalian animals, such as a non human primate (apes, gibbons, chimpanzees, orangutans, macaques), a domestic animal (dogs and cats), a farm animal (horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs), experimental animal (mouse, rat, rabbit, guinea pig) and humans.
• subjects include animal disease models, for example, the mouse animla model of influenza infection exemplified herein.
• M2 antibodies of the invention can be incorporated into pharmaceutical compositions.
• Such pharmaceutical compositions are useful for administration to a subject in vivo or ex vivo.
• Antibodies can be included in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient prior to administration to a subject.
• pharmaceutically acceptable and “physiologically acceptable” includes solvents (aqueous or non-aqueous), solutions, emulsions, dispersion media, coatings, isotonic and absorption promoting or delaying agents, compatible with pharmaceutical administration.
• Such formulations can be contained in a tablet (coated or uncoated), capsule (hard or soft), microbead, emulsion, powder, granule, crystal, suspension, syrup or elixir.
• Supplementary active compounds e.g., preservatives, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents
• compositions can be formulated to be compatible with a particular route of administration.
• pharmaceutical compositions include carriers, diluents, or excipients suitable for administration by various routes.
• penetrants appropriate to the barrier to be permeated are used in the formulation.
• penetrants are generally known in the art, and include, for example, for transmucosal administration, detergents, bile salts, and fusidic acid derivatives.
• the active compounds are formulated into aerosols, sprays, ointments, salves, gels, or creams as generally known in the art.
• compositions and methods of the invention are known in the art (see, e.g., Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences (1990) 18th ed., Mack Publishing Co., Easton, PA; The Merck Index (1996) 12th ed., Merck Publishing Group, Whitehouse, NJ; Pharmaceutical Principles of Solid Dosage Forms. Technonic Publishing Co., Inc., Lancaster, Pa., (1993); and Poznansky et al., Drug Delivery Systems. R. L. Juliano, ed., Oxford, N.Y. (1980), pp. 253-315)
• Unit dosage form refers to physically discrete units suited as unitary dosages for the subject to be treated; each unit containing a predetermined quantity of active compound calculated to produce a desired therapeutic effect in association with the pharmaceutical carrier or excipient.
• kits comprising M2 antibodies, nucleic acids encoding M2 antibodies and pharmaceutical formulations thereof, packaged into suitable packaging material.
• a kit typically includes a label or packaging insert including a description of the components or instructions for use in vitro, in vivo, or ex vivo, of the components therein.
• a kit can contain a collection of such components, e.g., two or more human M2 antibodies alone or in combination with an antiviral agent or drug.
• packaging material refers to a physical structure housing the components of the kit.
• the packaging material can maintain the components sterilely, and can be made of material commonly used for such purposes (e.g., paper, corrugated fiber, glass, plastic, foil, ampules, etc.).
• the label or packaging insert can include appropriate written instructions.
• Kits of the invention therefore can additionally include labels or instructions for using the kit components in a method of the invention.
• Instructions can include instructions for practicing any of the methods of the invention described herein including treatment, detection, monitoring or diagnostic methods.
• a kit can include a human M2 antibody that has one or more anti-influenza activities as set forth herein, together with instructions for administering the antibody in a treatment method of the invention.
• the instructions may be on "printed matter,” e.g., on paper or cardboard within or affixed to the kit, or on a label affixed to the kit or packaging material, or attached to a vial or tube containing a component of the kit. Instructions may additionally be included on a computer readable medium, such as a disk (floppy diskette or hard disk), optical CD such as CD- or DVD- ROM/RAM, magnetic tape, electrical storage media such as RAM and ROM and hybrids of these such as magnetic/optical storage media.
• a computer readable medium such as a disk (floppy diskette or hard disk), optical CD such as CD- or DVD- ROM/RAM, magnetic tape, electrical storage media such as RAM and ROM and hybrids of these such as magnetic/optical storage media.
• Invention kits can additionally include a growth medium (e.g., for an M2 antibody producing cell line), buffering agent, or a preservative or a stabilizing agent in a pharmaceutical formulation containing a human M2 antibody.
• a growth medium e.g., for an M2 antibody producing cell line
• buffering agent e.g., a buffering agent
• a preservative or a stabilizing agent in a pharmaceutical formulation containing a human M2 antibody.
• Each component of the kit can be enclosed within an individual container and all of the various containers can be within a single package.
• Invention kits can be designed for cold storage.
• Invention kits can further be designed to contain human M2 antibody producing hybridoma or other host cells (e.g., CHO cells). The cells in the kit can be maintained under appropriate storage conditions until the cells are ready to be used.
• kits including one or more hybridoma or other cells can contain appropriate cell storage medium (e.g., 10-20% DMSO in tissue culture growth medium such as DMEM, ⁇ -MEM, etc.) so that the cells can be thawed and grown.
• appropriate cell storage medium e.g., 10-20% DMSO in tissue culture growth medium such as DMEM, ⁇ -MEM, etc.
• Human M2 antibodies of the invention are useful for isolating, detecting or purifying M2 polypeptides. Such methods include contacting a sample suspected of containing M2 (in solution, in solid phase, in vitro or in vivo, or in an intact cell or organism) with an M2 antibody under conditions allowing binding, and detecting the presence of M2, or purifying the bound M2 protein.
• a method includes contacting a sample having or suspected of having M2 or influenza virus with a human M2 antibody under conditions allowing detection of M2 in the sample and determining whether M2 is present in the test sample. Detection of M2 or influenza virus can be performed by conventional methods such as immunoprecipitation, western blotting, immunohistochemical staining or flow cytometry.
• M2 and influenza virus detection methods are useful in diagnostic protocols for detecting M2 and influenza virus.
• invention antibodies can be used to detect any increase or decrease in M2 or influenza virus.
• invention antibodies can be used to detect such an increase or decrease in M2 or influenza virus levels before, during or following the treatment, over a long or short period of time.
• a method includes contacting a sample having or suspected of having M2 or influenza virus obtained from a subject with a human M2 or influenza virus antibody under conditions allowing detection of M2 or influenza virus and determining whether M2 or influenza virus is present in the test sample from the subject.
• Human M2 antibodies may also be utilized to monitor the presence of M2 or influenza virus for diagnosis or following treatment of a subject, or to measure in vivo levels of M2 in subjects. For example, sputum suspected of containing M2 or influenza virusis incubated with an M2 antibody, as described above, under conditions allowing binding to occur, detects the presence of M2 or influenza virus
• an M2 antibody ncludes a plurality of such antibodies and reference to “an anti influenza activity or function” :an include reference to one or more activities or functions, and so forth.
• M2 peptides were synthesized by Multiple Peptide Systems (San Diego, CA). Peptide purity was > 95% after HPLC. The M2 peptide was then conjugated to KLH (M2-KLH) and BSA (M2-BSA) by the same company.
• the sequence of the extracellular 23-amino-acid M2 peptide is: SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCRCNDSSD (SEQ ID NO: 1).
• mice Human trans-chromosomic mice (Ishida and Lonberg, IBC's 11 th Antibody Engineering Meeting. Abstract (2000); and Kataoka, S. IBC's 13 th Antibody Engineering Meeting. Abstract (2002)) harboring human chromosome fragments containing the human immunoglobulin region were obtained from Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. (Japan) and were housed in the animal facility at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology. C57BL/6J mice were purchased from Jackson Laboratories at Bar Harbor, ME and were housed in the animal facility at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.
• M2-KLH or M2-BSA in PBS was mixed with an equal volume of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) and an emulsion was prepared.
• CFA complete Freund's adjuvant
• Mice were immunized with 20 ⁇ g of M2-KLH or M2-BSA in CFA subcutaneously and were boosted either subcutaneously with 20 ⁇ g of M2-KLH or M2-BSA in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IF A) (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) or intraperitoneal injection with RIBI (Corixa, Hamilton MT) after 21 days and repeated once more following another 21 days.
• RIBI incomplete Freund's adjuvant
• a final intraperitoneal and intravenous injection of 10 ⁇ g of M2 peptide without adjuvant was given 3 days before fusion.
• ELISA Antibody titers and antibody specificity as well as antibody production by rrybridomas were determined by ELISA.
• 50 ⁇ l of M2-BSA or M2 peptide were coated on a 96-well flat bottom plate (Nunc, Denmark) at a concentration of 1 ⁇ g/ml with carbonate buffer (pH 9.6) overnight at 4°C or at 37°C for 1 hr.
• carbonate buffer pH 9.6
• plates were blocked with PBS/1% BSA (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) at 37°C for 30 min., the antibody or serum was added to the wells and the plates were incubated at 37°C for 1 hr.
• Isotype ELISA The isotype of the antibody produced by the hybridomas was determined by ELISA.
• 50 ⁇ l of M2-BSA or M2 peptide were coated on a 96-well flat bottom plate [Nunc, Denmark) at a concentration of 1 ⁇ g/ml with carbonate buffer (pH 9.6) overnight at 4°C ar at 37°C for 1 hr.
• carbonate buffer pH 9.6
• plates were blocked with PBS/1% BSA (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) at room temperature for 1 hr, the antibody was added to the wells and the plates were incubated at room temperature for 1 hr.
• Influenza A virus-infected cell-based ELISA MDCK cells (Madin-Darby Canine • idney epithelial cells; ATCC, Rockville, MD) were plated in a 96-well flat bottom plate [Falcon®) at 1.5xl0 5 cells per mL and 150 ⁇ l per well and cultured for 48 hr at 7%CO 2 . After 48 hr the plate was washed twice with PBS and infected at room temperature for 30 minutes with 30 ⁇ l of 100-fold TCID 50 influenza A virus (A/PR/8/34 or A HK 8/68; ATCC, Rockville, MD) with periodically swirling.
• the plate was washed once with PBS and 150 ⁇ l of 1 ⁇ g/mL trypsin (TPCK-treated, Worthington, Biochem. Corp.) in Minimal Essential Media (Invitrogen Corp, CA) was added and the plate incubated for 27 hr.
• the cell monolayer was washed with PBS/1 %FCS (GIBCO BRL, Rockville, MD) three times and blocked with PBS/ 1%BSA/ 5%FCS at room temperature for 30 min.
• the antibodies were diluted and 50 ⁇ l added to each well and incubated at room temperature for 45 min.
• the HRP conjugated Rabbit anti-human immunoglobulin gamma chain antibody (DAKO, Denmark) was diluted 1 :3000 and 50 ⁇ l added to each well and the plate was incubated at room temperature for 30 min. After washing 5 times, 100 ⁇ l of TMB substrate (DAKO, Denmark) containing lmM Levamisole solution (Vector Laboratories Inc. Burlingame, CA) was added and the plates were incubated at room temperature for 15 min. 50 ⁇ l of supernatant were transfe ⁇ ed to a new 96-well plate (Nunc, Denmark) containing 100 ⁇ l stop solution (IN H 2 SO ) and the optical density (OD) at 450nm was measured by a microplate reader. EC 50 of each antibody was calculated as previously described (Sette et al. Nature 328:395 (1987)). The OD data of no. 2074 antibody at 10 ⁇ g/ml was set as 100% as an internal control.
• Virus-infected MDCK cells were prepared as described above. The M2 peptide and the anti M2 antibodies kvere mixed and incubated at room temperature for 30 min. After incubation,50 ⁇ l of the mixture of peptide and antibodies were added to blocked cells and incubated at room temperature for 30 ninutes After washing 4 times, the HRP conjugated Rabbit anti-human immunoglobulin gamma chain antibody (DAKO, Denmark) was diluted 1 :3000 and 50 ⁇ l added to each well and the plate was incubated at room temperature for 30 min.
• DAKO HRP conjugated Rabbit anti-human immunoglobulin gamma chain antibody
• TMB substrate DAKO, Denmark
• lmM Levamisole solution Vector Laboratories Inc. Burlingame, CA
• the plates were incubated at room temperature for 15 min.
• Fifty ⁇ l of supernatant was transferred to a new 96-well plate (Nunc, Denmark) containing 100 ⁇ l stop solution (IN H 2 SO ) and the optical density at 450nm was measured by a microplate reader.
• Hybridoma production The mouse having the highest antibody titer was selected for production of monoclonal antibodies.
• the spleen was harvested and single cell suspension was fused to a myeloma cell line (SP2/O-Agl4) (ATCC, Rockville, MD) at a 3:1 ratio with 50% PEG (Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, IN).
• the fusions were plated onto 96-well plate at an optimal density and cultured in complete RPMI-10 medium (RPMI 1640 with 10% FCS, 1% nonessential amino acids, 2mM L-glutamine, 50 ⁇ M 2-ME, 100 U/ml penicillin and 100 ⁇ g/ml streptomycin sulfate) in a 5% CO 2 , 37°C incubator.
• Antibody purification For antibody purification, hybridomas were cultured in an Integra system (INTEGRA Bioscience nc. Ijamsville, MD) with hybridoma-SFM(GIBCO BRL, Rockville, MD). Human monoclonal antibodies were purified from culture media using Protein A-Sepharose Fast Flow gel (Amersham Pharmacia Cat# 17-0618-02, Uppsala, Sweden).
• conditioned medium containing an appropriate amount of the antibody for the column capacity, was filtered with a 0.22 ⁇ m disk filter (Minisarto-plus, Sartorius Cat# 17822, Gettingen, Germany) and loaded onto a 2.0 ml Protein A-Sepharose Fast Flow column equilibrated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS).
• PBS phosphate buffered saline
• the concentrated sample was buffer-exchanged into 20 mM sodium phosphate, pH6.6, and loaded onto a 0.5 ml SP-Sepharose HP column (Amersham Pharmacia, Cat# 17- 1087-01, Uppsala, Sweden) equilibrated with the same buffer.
• the pyrogen was removed by first passing the sample through a 2 ml Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column (Amersham Pharmacia, Cat# 17-0510-01, Uppsala, Sweden) that was connected in series to a SP- Sepharose HP column. After application, the Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column was removed and the antibody was eluted with a linear gradient ranging from 0 to 0.5 M sodium chloride.
• the antibody was detected at 280 nm and the antibody containing fractions pooled.
• the sample was concentrated with a centrifugal concentrator and buffer-exchanged into PBS by using NAP25 desalting columns (Amersham Pharmacia, Cat# 17-0852-02, Uppsala, Sweden).
• Antibody concentration was quantitated by a human IgG specific ELISA. Pyrogen levels of samples were determined to be less than 0.13 EU / mg of protein according to a Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay (Associates of Cape Cod, Inc., Falmouth, MA).
• LAL Limulus Amebocyte Lysate
• C40 human anti-M2 antibody
• SMART RACE cDNA Amplification Kit (Clontech, Co., Ltd., CA) was used for cloning of cDNA of variable region of immunoglobulin genes from polyA + RNA of hybridoma cells as a source. Briefly, first strand cDNA was prepared by reverse transcriptase from 2 microgram of poly A + RNA. This cDNA was used as a template for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify variable regions of both heavy chain and light chain which included leader sequences (HV and LV, respectively).
• PCR polymerase chain reaction
• the reaction was as follows: 2.5 U TaKaRa LA TaqTM DNA polymerase (Takara Shuzo, Co.,); 0.2 ⁇ M Primer for one side (for Heavy chain: IgGlp, for Light chain: hk-2, see Table 1); 0.2 ⁇ M Primer for the other side (UMP primer attached to SMART RACE Kit); 400 ⁇ M each dNTP mix; LA PCR Buffer II (Mg2+ plus) (final concentration is lx); and cDNA template.
• thermocycling program was 94°C for 5 min, and then 30 cycles at 94°C for 10 sec and 68°C for 1 min with an extension at 72°C for 7 min.
• Amplified DNA fragments were collected after ethanol precipitation and subsequent agarose gel electrophoresis, and purified by QIAquick Gel Extraction Kit (Qiagen Co., Ltd., Germany). Nucleotide sequences of both PCR- amplif ⁇ ed products (HV and LV) were confirmed with specific primers (HV: hh-4, LV: hk-5 and ⁇ k-6, see Table 1 for sequences of primers).
• HV and LV Purified DNA fragments of HV and LV was integrated into pGEM ® -T Easy Vector System (Promega Co.), and each construct plasmid was electroporated in E.coli, and then cloned. Nucleotide sequences of each insert (HV and LV) in construct plasmids were analysed using specific primers (SP6 and T7, see Table 1). Nucleotide sequences of both HV and LV from construct plasmids were completely coincided with those from PCR products. Nucleotide sequences of HV and LV and these amino acid sequences are shown below.
• IgGl type isotype-s witched C40 antibody (the original isotype was IgG4)
• the primer set for PCR of LV was designed to have sensitive region to restriction enzymes in the both sides of LV.
• the primer set used is M240L5BGL and M240L3BSI (Table 1), and construct plasmid of LV was used as a template.
• Purified PCR-amplified product of LV was subcloned into pGEM ® -T Easy Vector System (Promega, Co., Ltd.). Nucleotide sequence of the insert was confirmed.
• the plasmid DNA was digested by two restriction enzymes, Bglll and BsiWI, and 0.4 kilobases DNA insert (fragment A, see Fig. 1) was isolated and purified by the agarose gel electrophoresis.
• Plasmid vector (IDEC Pharmaceuticals, CA, N5KG1-Val Lark (a modified vector of N5KG1 in US patent 6,001,358)) was used as an expression vector for IgGl production, which contains constant regions of both IgGl light and heavy chains.
• the vector DNA was digested by the two enzymes, Bglll and BsiWI, and subsequently treated with alkaline phosphatase (Takara Shuzo, Co., Ltd., Japan) for dephosphorylation of the end of the DNA. 8.9 kilobases DNA fragment (fragment B) was isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis and DNA purification kit.
• Two DNA fragments, A and B were ligated with T4 DNA ligase (Takara Shuzo, Co., Ltd., Japan), and ligated construct (N5KGl_C40Lv) was electroporated into E.coli DH5 ⁇ strain to generate transformants. Positive E.coli transformants were selected.
• HV was inserted into N5KGl_C40Lv DNA vector as follows: the DNA vector was digested by two DNA restriction enzymes, Nhel and Sail, and subsequently dephosphorylated. 9.2 kilobases DNA fragment (fragment C) was isolated.
• the primer set for PCR of HV was designed to have the sensitive region to restriction enzymes in the both sides of HV.
• the primer set used is M240H5SAL and M240H3NHE (Table 1), and construct plasmid of HV was used as a template. Purified PCR- amplified product of HV was subcloned into pGEM ® -T Easy Vector System.
• the plasmid DNA was digested by two restriction enzymes, Nhel and Sail, and 0.44 kilobases DNA insert (fragment D, see Fig. 1) was isolated and purified after agarose gel electrophoresis.
• N5KG4PE DNA vector was used nstead of N5KG1-Val Lark vector. This DNA vector contains constant regions of both light chain and heavy chains of IgG4. Procedure of generation of IgG4 vector of C40 was the same as that of IgGl -type C40.
• DNA vector was transfected into host cells, and recombinant antibody was isolated from the supernatant of the transfected cells. Briefly, DNA vector was transfected into host cell dhfr-defective strain of Chinese Hamster Ovary cell (CHO cells, ATCC #CRL-9096) by electroporation. Twenty microgram of purified DNA expression vector, N5KG1_M2C40, was linearized by a DNA restriction enzyme, Ascl, and the DNA was transfected into 4 x 10 6 cells of CHO cells using Bio Rad electroporator (350V, 500 ⁇ F).
• the transfected cells were seeded in 96-well culture plate, and cells were cultured in the culture medium with Geneticin (Gibco-BRL) for selecting CHO cells containing the DNA vector. After the selection of several stable transfectant strains, high human IgG producers were screened by ELISA, and used for production of recombinant antibody.
• Geneticin Gabco-BRL
• CHO cells expressing recombinant antibody were cultured with EX-CELL medium 325- PE (JRH Bioscience, Co., Ltd.). Ten liters of spent culture supernatant was used for purification of antibody protein as follows: The supernatant was applied to MabSelect Protein A column (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Co., Ltd.). For adsorption of antibody to protein A, phosphate- buffered saline (PBS) was used, and for elution 20 mM sodium citrate buffer and 50 mM sodium chloride (pH 2.7) was used. The pH of elution fraction was adjusted to 5.5 by addition of 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0).
• PBS phosphate- buffered saline
• pH of elution fraction was adjusted to 5.5 by addition of 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0).
• This example describes production and characterization of human and chimeric M2 monoclonal antibodies.
• KM mice or HAC mice were immunized with synthetic M2 peptide based on the sequence derived from the M2 extracellular domain conjugated to KLH or BSA as a carrier. Most of the mice responded to M2 antigen with high titer as detected by ELISA with M2 peptide as coating antigen.
• M2 antigen with high titer as detected by ELISA with M2 peptide as coating antigen.
• anti-M2 human monoclonal antibodies were generated by fusion of splenocytes from 6 high responders with myeloma cells. Twelve monoclonal antibodies were obtained (denoted nos.
• C40, L17, L30, L40, L66, N547, S212, S80, S900, FI, and F2 that reacted to M2 peptide and/or M2-BSA conjugates, but did not respond to BSA, KLH (carriers for immunization), mGAD (a synthetic irrelevant peptide derived from mouse Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD), amino acids 246 to 266) as shown in Table 2.
• the coding sequences of C40G1 (IgGl) and C40G4 (IgG4) were cloned from the original C40 gene, and were expressed in CHO cells (Example 1).
• the human/mouse chimera monoclonal antibody no. 2074 and fully human antibodies C40G1, S212, S80, S900, N547, L66, FI, and F2 are IgGl isotype.
• C40 is IgG4 isotype
• L40 is IgG3 isotype
• antibodies L17 and L30 are IgG2 isotypes (Table 2).
• Table 2 The characters of anti-M2 human monoclonal antibodies derived from trans- chromosome mouse.
• OD 5 o of no. 2074 at lO ⁇ g/ml dose was set as 100% for EC50 calculation.
• the background is below 0.1.
• Binding activity of anti-M2 antibodies to mutant M2 peptides was analyzed in an ELISA assay using eight different M2 peptides (SEQ ID NO: 1-8, Table 5) that have been reported in influenza A virus.
• Anti-M2 antibody nos. 2074, C40, C40G1, L66 and N547 exhibited binding activity to the M2 peptides as well as the original M2 peptide (Table 6).
• C40G1 and N547 bound to all eight M2 peptides used in the study.
• A/HK/8/68 and A/PR/8/34 virus strains have peptide sequences listed as SEQ ID NO:l md 9, respectively, in M2 protein. Since the above mentioned anti-M2 antibodies bind to cell
• M2G iurface M2 protein in MDCK cells infected by either of these two virus strains, these antibodies ;an also bind to the M2 peptide set forth as SEQ ID NO: 9 (i.e. M2G, Table 5).
• This example describes animal model studies indicating that administering an M2 nonoclonal antibody of the invention before and after the animal is infected with influenza virus protects against a lethal challenge of virus.
• antibody no. 2074 was administered at a dose of 200 ⁇ g/mouse intraperitoneally o female C57BL/6J mice (8—10 weeks old).
• anesthetized nice (15 ⁇ l g of Avertin (1:1 w/v of 2,2,2 tribromoethanol:tert-amyl-OH, Sigma, St. Louis, MO)
• vere infected with 30 ⁇ l (300 pfU /30 ⁇ l) of a lethal dose of influenza A/PR/8/34 (ATCC) nfranasally.
• A/PR/8/34 ATCC
• mice In the control group, 11 of 12 mice died within 18 days post infection. In contrast, anti- 2 antibody no. 2074 treated mice were significantly protected. Ten of 12 mice were still alive >ver the 27-day period of observation. The surviving mice (10 from the anti-M2 treated group ind 1 from the control group) were sacrificed at day 27 after infection and the lungs were emoved for viral titer and tissue analysis. No detectable virus from the lungs of the mice from ither group was found by a viral plaque assay, while for the positive control, the titer of A/HK/8/68 virus was 5.95xl0 3 pfU/ml (Table 5).
• Threshold of virus detection is 50 pfu/ml. * * * * * : Virus used as positive control for the assay.
• A/PR/8/34 A/PR/8/34
• anti-M2 monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic treatment were administered after virus infection. Two and four days after a ethal dose virus challenge of influenza A /PR/8/34 was given to C57BL/6J mice, anti-M2 intibody no. 2074 was administered at 200 ⁇ g/mouse in each time by intraperitoneal injection (12 mice in total). The control group (total 12 mice) received isotype matched i ⁇ elevant human monoclonal antibody (anti-HSA (IgGl) from Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd., Japan)).
• anti-HSA IgGl
• anti-M2 antibody is effective by administration even after virus infection. This implies the antibody can be used not only for prophylaxis but therapeutic use.
• the :ontrol group (total of 8 or 12 mice) received anti-HSA specific human IgGl antibody injection.
• 30, C40G4, FI and F2 antibodies did not prolong survival of virus infected mice compared with control group (Fig. 3 A, B).
• C40G1 antibody showed clear protection from the yiral challenge, and all mice in this group were still alive even after 30 days post infection Tig. 3A).
• C40G1, L30 and C40G4 antibodies Binding affinity of C40G1, L30 and C40G4 antibodies to either M2 expressed on PR/8/34 infected cells (Fig. 4B, Table 4) or M2-BSA conjugate (Fig. 4A) were not iignificantly different among each other.
• C40G1 and C40G4 have the same antigen binding site, iince both of them came from C40 antibody. Since L30 (IgG2) and C40G4 (IgG4) did not show jrotection from virus challenge whereas C40G1 did significantly protect, IgGl type antibody is )otentially a better candidate for in vivo use.
• FI and F2 antibodies bound poorly to M2 on viral infected cells although these antibodies bind to M2-BSA conjugate well (Fig. 4A, B, Table 4).
• the poor binding of FI and F2 antibodies to M2 on viral infected cells may account for the lack of protective effect in vivo.

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• 2003
  • 2003-03-13 KR KR10-2004-7014352A patent/KR20040111402A/ko not_active Ceased
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  • 2003-03-13 WO PCT/US2003/008147 patent/WO2003078600A2/en not_active Ceased
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  • 2003-03-13 TW TW092105484A patent/TW200407161A/zh unknown
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  • 2003-03-13 JP JP2003576594A patent/JP2005519619A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-03-13 EP EP03719398A patent/EP1490099A4/en not_active Withdrawn

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