A METHOD FOR GENERATION OF ANTIBODIES TO CELL SURFACE MOLECULES

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of generating antibodies directed against cell surface antigens and it uses recombinant insect cells as immunogens. The insect cells have been transfected with coding regions for a molecule containing a cell surface antigen and these antigens are expressed on the surface of the insect cells. Host animals are immunized with these transfected insect cells to generate antibodies directed against the cell surface antigen. Antibody-producing cells from the host animal are used to generate monoclonal antibody-producing hybridoma cells. Sera and hybridoma supernatants can be tested for the presence of antibodies against the surface antigen, using the transfected cells in a screening assay. Specific antibodies that have been generated by the present method are anti-B7 and anti-CD40 antibodies and they can be used to prevent or treat an antibody-mediated or immune system disease in a patient. The anti-B7 antibodies can be used to cause T cell anergy, treat allograft transplant rejection, treat graft versus host disease, and prevent or treat rheumatoid arthritis. An immunosuppressive agent may be co-administered with the antibody. The anti-CD40 antibodies which bind to the CD40 antigen can be used to prevent the growth or differentiation of the B cell. Monoclonal antibodies useful in these methods, and epitopes immunoreactive with such monoclonal antibodies are also presented.