High avidity chimeric monoclonal antibodies against the extracellular domains of human aquaporin-4 competing with the neuromyelitis optica autoantibody, NMO-IgG.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Most of the cases of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are characterized by the presence of an autoantibody, NMO-IgG, which recognizes the extracellular domains of the water channel, aquaporin-4. Binding of NMO-IgG to aquaporin-4 expressed in end-feet of astrocytes leads to complement-dependent disruption of astrocytes followed by demyelination. One therapeutic option for NMO is to prevent the binding of NMO-IgG to aquaporin-4, using high-avidity, non-pathogenic-chimeric, monoclonal antibodies to this water channel. We describe here the development of such antibodies.

Experimental approach

cDNAs encoding variable regions of heavy and light chains of monoclonal antibodies against the extracellular domains of human aquaporin-4 were cloned from hybridoma total R

SUBMITTER: Miyazaki-Komine K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4813391 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature