Idiotypic antibodies and uses thereof

Abstract

The invention provides anti-idiotypic HCMV antibodies as well as methods of using the same.

1 . An isolated anti-idiotypic antibody that specifically binds to an anti-HCMV antibody comprising the heavy chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 and the light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
         2 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The anti-idiotypic antibody of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody comprises three heavy chain hypervariable regions (HVR-H1, HVR-H2 and HVR-H3) and three light chain hypervariable regions (HVR-L1, HVR-L2 and HVR-L3), wherein:
 (a) HVR-H1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 19;   (b) HVR-H2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 20;   (c) HVR-H3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 21;   (d) HVR-L1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22;   (e) HVR-L2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 23; and   (f) HVR-L3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 24.   
     
     
         7 . The anti-idiotypic antibody of  claim 6 , wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody comprises the heavy chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 9 and the light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The anti-idiotypic antibody of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody specifically binds to at least one HVR of an anti-HCMV antibody comprising the heavy chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 and the light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
         10 . The anti-idiotypic antibody of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody specifically binds to HVR-H2 (SEQ ID NO: 36) of an anti-HCMV antibody comprising the heavy chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 and the light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
         11 . The anti-idiotypic antibody of  claim 1  conjugated to a detectable label. 
     
     
         12 . The antibody of  claim 1  conjugated to biotin. 
     
     
         13 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . An immunoassay kit for specifically detecting in a biological sample an antibody of interest selected from (a) a first anti-HCMV antibody comprising the heavy chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 and a light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4; and (c) a combination thereof, the kit comprising: (a) a container containing, as a capture reagent, an anti-idiotypic antibody that specifically binds to the antibody of interest; (b) a container containing a detectable antibody that binds to the antibody of interest; and (c) instructions for detecting said antibody of interest. 
     
     
         45 . The kit of  claim 44  useful in an ELISA method for detecting the antibody of interest. 
     
     
         46 . The kit of  claim 45  further comprising a solid support for the capture reagent. 
     
     
         47 . The kit of  claim 46 , wherein the capture reagent is immobilized on the solid support. 
     
     
         48 . The kit of  claim 47 , wherein the capture reagent is coated on a microtiter plate. 
     
     
         49 . The kit of  claim 44 , wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is selected from (a) a first anti-idiotypic antibody comprising the heavy chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 9 and a light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11; and (c) a combination thereof. 
     
     
         50 . An isolated anti-idiotypic antibody that specifically binds to an anti-HCMV antibody comprising at least one heavy chain hypervariable region selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID Nos: 19 to 24. 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . The antibody of  claim 50  comprising three heavy chain hypervariable regions (HVR-H1, HVR-H2 and HVR-H3) and three light chain hypervariable regions (HVR-L1, HVR-L2 and HVR-L3), wherein:
 (a) HVR-H1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 19; 
 (b) HVR-H2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 20; 
 (c) HVR-H3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 21; 
 (d) HVR-L1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22; 
 (e) HVR-L2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 23; and 
 (f) HVR-L3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 24.