Antibody molecules having specificity for human il-6

Abstract

The invention relates to antibody molecules having specificity for antigenic determinants of IL-6, therapeutic uses of the antibody molecules and methods for producing said antibody molecules.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An isolated DNA sequence encoding the heavy and/or light chain(s) of an antibody having specificity for human IL-6, comprising a heavy chain comprising the sequence gH13 (SEQ ID NO:11) and a light chain comprising the sequence gL10 (SEQ ID NO:13). 
     
     
         2 . An isolated DNA sequence according to  claim 1  in which the DNA sequence encoding the heavy chain comprises the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:12 or SEQ ID NO:15 or nucleotides 58-2008 of SEQ ID NO:15. 
     
     
         3 . An isolated DNA sequence according to  claim 1  in which the DNA sequence encoding the light chain comprises the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:14 or SEQ ID NO:17 or nucleotides 61-705 of SEQ ID NO:17. 
     
     
         4 . A cloning or expression vector comprising one or more DNA sequences according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . A vector according to  claim 4 , wherein the vector comprises the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:12 and the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:14. 
     
     
         6 . A host cell comprising one or more cloning or expression vectors according to  claim 4 . 
     
     
         7 . A process for the production of an antibody having binding specificity for human IL-3, comprising culturing the host cell of  claim 6  and isolating the antibody. 
     
     
         8 . An isolated DNA sequence encoding the heavy and/or light chain(s) of a neutralizing antibody having specificity for human IL-6, comprising a light chain, wherein the variable domain of the light chain comprises at least one of a CDR having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:8 for CDR-L1, a CDR having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:9 for CDR-L2 and a CDR having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:10 for CDR-L3. 
     
     
         9 . An isolated DNA sequence encoding the heavy and/or light chain(s) of a neutralising antibody having specificity for human IL-6 comprising a heavy chain, wherein the variable domain of the heavy chain comprises at least one of a CDR having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:5 for CDR-H1, a CDR having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:6 for CDR-H2 and a CDR having the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:7 for CDR-H3. 
     
     
         10 . An isolated DNA sequence encoding the heavy and/or light chain(s) of a neutralising antibody having specificity for human IL-6, comprising a heavy chain comprising the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:16 and a light chain comprising the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:18. 
     
     
         11 . An isolated DNA sequence according to  claim 10  in which the DNA sequence encoding the heavy chain comprises the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:12 or SEQ ID NO:15 or nucleotides 58-2008 of SEQ ID NO:15. 
     
     
         12 . An isolated DNA sequence according to  claim 10  in which the DNA sequence encoding the light chain comprises the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:14 or SEQ ID NO:17 or nucleotides 61-705 of SEQ ID NO:17. 
     
     
         13 . A cloning or expression vector comprising one or more DNA sequences according to  claim 10 . 
     
     
         14 . A vector according to  claim 13 , wherein the vector comprises the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:15 and the sequence given in SEQ ID NO:17. 
     
     
         15 . A host cell comprising one or more cloning or expression vectors according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
         16 . A process for the production of an antibody having binding specificity for human IL-6, comprising culturing the host cell of  claim 15  and isolating the antibody.