Antibody

Abstract

The invention relates to antibodies to Aspergillus species and to methods of producing those antibodies. The invention also relates to the use of such antibodies in identifying the presence of the Aspergillus species and to methods of treating an infection with the Aspergillus species.

1 . A hybridoma deposited under accession number ECACC 08120202. 
     
     
         2 . An antibody which may be obtained by culture of the hybridoma of  claim 1 , or a functional fragment of such an antibody. 
     
     
         3 . An antibody, or antibody fragment or other molecule capable of specifically binding to  Aspergillus , the antibody, fragment or binding molecule comprising a CDR, light chain, heavy chain, light chain variable region, heavy chain variable region or antigen binding region that shows substantial homology with the corresponding region of the antibody according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         4 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising a CDR comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to an amino acid sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 19 to 25. 
 
     
     
         5 . An antibody according to  claim 4 , comprising a first CDR comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to the amino acid sequence shown in figure:
 19;   a second CDR comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to an amino acid sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:   21 or 22; and   a third CDR comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to the amino acid sequence shown in figure:   24.   
     
     
         6 . An antibody according to  claim 4  comprising a first CDR comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to the amino acid sequence shown in figure:
 20; 
 a second CDR comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to the amino acid sequence shown in figure: 
 23; and 
 a third CDR comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to the amino acid sequence shown in figure: 
 25. 
 
     
     
         7 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising a heavy chain comprising one or more CDRs having an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to an amino acid sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 19, 21, 22 and 24. 
 
     
     
         8 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising a light chain comprising one or more CDRs having an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to an amino acid sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 20, 23 and 25. 
 
     
     
         9 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising an amino acid sequence having substantial homology to an amino acid sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 18. 
 
     
     
         10 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising a heavy chain variable region having substantial homology to an amino acid sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11. 
 
     
     
         11 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising a light chain variable region having substantial homology to the amino acid sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 13, 15, 17 and 18. 
 
     
     
         12 . An antibody according to  claim 3  encoded by a nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to a nucleotide sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14 and 16. 
 
     
     
         13 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising a heavy chain variable region encoded by a nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to a nucleotide sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. 
 
     
     
         14 . An antibody according to  claim 3  comprising a light chain variable region encoded by a nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to the nucleotide sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 12, 14 and 16. 
 
     
     
         15 . An antibody that binds to the same epitope as an antibody according to  claim 3 . 
     
     
         16 . A method of making antibodies, including a method of generating an antibody or functional fragment thereof comprising:
 a) providing a repertoire of nucleic acids encoding a variable domain that either includes a CDR1, CDR2 or CDR3 encoding region to be replaced or lacks a CDR1, CDR2 or CDR3 encoding region;   b) combining the repertoire with a donor nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence encoding a sequence selected from the sequences in figures:
 19 to 25 to provide a repertoire of nucleic acids encoding a variable domain; and 
   c) expressing a nucleic acid from the repertoire.   
     
     
         17 . An isolated nucleic acids encoding an antibody or functional fragment thereof according to  claim 3 . 
     
     
         18 . An isolated nucleic acid having substantial homology to a sequence selected from the sequences shown in figures:
 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14 and 16.   
     
     
         19 . A construct comprising a nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 18 . 
     
     
         20 . A host cell comprising at least one construct according to  claim 19 . 
     
     
         21 . A the method of making an antibody comprising culturing a host cell according to  claim 20  under appropriate conditions to express the antibody from the nucleic acid. 
     
     
         22 . A method of assaying for the presence of an  Aspergillus  species in a sample, comprising:
 a) contacting the sample with a labeled antibody according to  claim 2 ; and   b) observing the sample for binding of the antibody to epitopes in the sample;   wherein binding of the antibodies is indicative of the presence of an  Aspergillus  species.   
     
     
         23 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibody according to  claim 3  or functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         24 . An antibody according to  claim 3  or functional fragment thereof for use in therapy. 
     
     
         25 . A method of treating an infection with an  Aspergillus  species, comprising administering a therapeutic amount of an antibody according to  claim 3  or fragment thereof to a subject in need thereof.