New antibodies specific for plasma cells, useful for treatment and diagnosis of autoimmune diseases and plasma cell tumors

摘要

Antibodies (Ab) in which the variable region (VR) of at least one chain and/or the VR of at least one heavy chain includes at least one of 7 specified sequences, or fragments of these sequences, or contain at least one light chain and/or heavy chain encoded by specific nucleic acid sequences (I) and (II), reproduced, or their fragments is new. The specified light chain sequences are (FW = framework; CDR = complementarity-determining region) DIVMTQTPLTLSVTIGQPASLSC (FW-1) KSSQSLLDSDGKTYLN (CDR-1) WLLQRPGQSPKRLIS (FW-2) LVSKLDS (CDR-2) GVPDRFTGSGSGTDFTLKISRVEAEDLGVYYC (FW-3) WQGTHLPWT (CDR-3) FGGGTKLEIKR (FW-4) and the specified heavy chain sequences are QVQLQQSGPELVKYGASVKISCKGSGYSFS (FW-1) GYYMH (CDR-1) WVKQSHGKRLEWIG (FW-2) YISGYNGDTRYNQKFRG (CDR-2) KATFIVDISSRTAYMQFNSLTSEDSAVYYCAR (FW-3) GGYYGYVDY (CDR-3) WGQGTTLTVSS (FW-4). Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) antibody-encoding nucleic acid containing at least part of (I) and/or (II); (b) production of Ab directed against plasma cells; (c) antigen (Ag) that binds to Ab; (d) any antibody that binds to Ag; and (e) method similar to (b) but using Ag as immunogen.